Nazgul, whose surprise dash down the homestretch in an Olympic cross-country ski race warmed hearts around the world, with his owners Enrico and Alice Varesco Feb. 21, 2026 Nathaniel Herz hide caption toggle caption Nathaniel Herz 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 …