A Czech wolfhound named Nazgul made an unexpected appearance during the women's cross-country team sprint qualifying round at the Winter Olympics in Italy. The two-year-old dog followed Croatian skier Tena Hadzic across the finish line, drawing the loudest cheers of the day from spectators.
NBC Sports cameras captured the moment as Nazgul, named after the ringwraiths from The Lord of the Rings, became an unregistered competitor in the Olympic event.
"He was crying this morning more than normal because he was seeing us leaving - and I think he just wanted to follow us," the owner explained. "He always looks for people."
The owner described Nazgul as "stubborn, but very sweet."
The playful canine was safely returned home after his impromptu Olympic debut and photo finish moment went viral on social media.