Nazgul The Wolfdog Who Stormed The Olympic Course Is Home Again — And This Time, He’s Staying Put

Nazgul, the wolfdog who left spectators speechless after darting onto the Olympic cross-country course, is now back home safely — and his owners are adamant that there won’t be another surprise appearance at any future race.

The two-year-old Czechoslovakian wolfdog quickly became one of the most unforgettable moments of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics when he slipped away from his house in Tesero and burst onto the course during a sprint competition. For a few surreal seconds, confusion rippled through the crowd as some believed a real wolf had wandered into the event. Instead, it was Nazgul powering down the finishing straight alongside world-class skiers.

At the time, his owners, Alice and Ernesto Varesco, were nowhere near Tesero. They were on a train heading to Anterselva for the biathlon when their phones began flooding with urgent messages and video clips. “That was the panic moment,” Alice Varesco told Reuters. “We realised we could not do anything.”

Before leaving, Nazgul had been locked inside his kennel. The family believes he may have repeatedly pushed against a latch until it eventually gave way, freeing him to follow the familiar path he usually walks with them. “He likes to stay with his crew,” Alice explained, suggesting he may have simply been trying to reunite with his family.

Officials acted swiftly once he entered the competition area. The race director managed to secure Nazgul, and family members returned him home within roughly 30 minutes. Thankfully, no athletes were injured, and the race proceeded without serious interruption.

By later that afternoon, footage of Nazgul’s unexpected sprint had circled the globe. While the viral attention was overwhelming, the Varesco family said their primary concern was simply that their dog was safe and unharmed.

With the 50-kilometer races approaching that weekend, the family has reinforced security around Nazgul’s enclosure. Instead of attending in person, they plan to watch from their balcony at home — this time keeping their now-famous wolfdog firmly within sight.

“We did not think this could happen,” Alice said. “But we’re grateful nothing serious happened, and in the end, everyone was smiling.”