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How Nazgul the wolfdog made his run for Winter Olympic glory in Italy
LAGO DI TESERO, ITALY — Before he became the most famous dog at the Olympics, Nazgul was not known as an escape artist.
Still, his owners, Enrico and Alice Varesco, were not taking chances when they left him alone at their apartment alongside the Olympic cross-country ski trails this week.
The Varescos were headed out to watch an Olympic biathlon race at another competition venue, a couple hours away over the mountains. Nazgul, a two-year-old, 65-pound Czechoslovakian Wolfdog, was secured inside his spacious kennel, inside the house — with an eight-foot-tall fence separating the Varescos' backyard from the trails where dozens of skiers would hurtle past later that day.
Then, the photos of a dog running amongst ski racers on the homestretch started landing on Alice's phone.
"We thought it was impossible," she said. "There are other wolfdogs in the valley."
https://www.npr.org/2026/02/21/nx-s1-5721755/how-nazgul-the-wolfdog-made-his-run-for-winter-olympic-glory-in-italy
Still, his owners, Enrico and Alice Varesco, were not taking chances when they left him alone at their apartment alongside the Olympic cross-country ski trails this week.
The Varescos were headed out to watch an Olympic biathlon race at another competition venue, a couple hours away over the mountains. Nazgul, a two-year-old, 65-pound Czechoslovakian Wolfdog, was secured inside his spacious kennel, inside the house — with an eight-foot-tall fence separating the Varescos' backyard from the trails where dozens of skiers would hurtle past later that day.
Then, the photos of a dog running amongst ski racers on the homestretch started landing on Alice's phone.
"We thought it was impossible," she said. "There are other wolfdogs in the valley."
https://www.npr.org/2026/02/21/nx-s1-5721755/how-nazgul-the-wolfdog-made-his-run-for-winter-olympic-glory-in-italy
This local Wolfdog joined an Olympic ski event and triggered the finish-line camera. This is Nazgul. He snuck into a cross-country skiing sprint this morning and raced the homestretch with some competitors before being escorted home. 14/10 someone get him a medal
— WeRateDogs (@weratedogs.com) 2026-02-18T17:48:29.944Z
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