Every dog has its day, especially one canine who somehow made his way onto the women’s cross-country course and dashed across the finish line at the Winter Olympics on Wednesday.The pup — who was not eligible for the team sprint qualifiers — crashed the event anyway as NBC’s coverage of the competition captured him as he poked his head over a hill and continued his way down the track, briefly pausing to take a look at a nearby camera.He avoided running into the Olympic athletes and, eventually, Omega SA’s camera snapped him as he crossed the finish line.Moments later, he was seen sniffing at least one skier before trotting off behind a gate where he was taken into the care of race officials, hopefully to acquire some treats for his “pawdium”-worthy performance.The canine was later identified as a two-year-old Czechoslovakian wolfdog breed named Nazgul, a nod to the “Lord of the Rings” franchise, per ESPN, which cited several media reports on the pup.Croatian skier Tena Hadzic, who encountered Nazgul on the course, said she wondered whether she was “hallucinating” when she peeped the canine at the event.Nazgul’s owner, who was granted anonymity in an interview with NPR, described their dog as “stubborn, but very sweet.”“He was crying this morning more than normal because he was seeing us leaving — and I think he just wanted to follow us,” they told the outlet.“He always looks for people.”NBC’s X account for the Games later shared a clip featuring several comments from his newfound fans along with a graphic that claimed he won gold in the “Good Boy Olympics.”Check out more reactions to Nazgul’s scene-stealing performance at the Winter Olympics below.Nazgul wants the one Olympic ring to rule them all.— GooniesNeverSayDie (@zebrachic76) February 18, 2026imagine watching the Olympics and seeing your dog cross the finish line— ₿OYD (@xBOYDx) February 18, 2026Looks like Nazgul has a lot of wolf in him!— Mark Finkelstein (@markfinkelstein) February 18, 2026Ever been to Italy? The way they love dogs in this nation, this doesn’t surprise me a bit. And, yes, I mean that in the best way possible.— Ethan Nobles 🐗🏴☠️ (@NoblesLawFirm) February 18, 2026If y'all don't find a way for him to participate in the closing ceremony the world will be disappointed— karin mayer (@kdmayer) February 18, 2026I love how he went over to the camera for his closeup. 🥰— Ann A. (@annargila) February 18, 2026He wasn't even out of breath. Imagine if he were trying— KEWTR (@kewlgirldubs) February 18, 2026The form, the speed, and the focus! Just look at him go!— Lyon🦁🌺🇺🇸🎗️ (@softcrush) February 18, 2026He could have won that race. So selfless of him to let the humans have their way.— Finn o’cabbage (@finn_cabbage) February 18, 2026Close