( NewsNation) — A dog made its Olympic debut Wednesday when it unexpectedly showed up during the women’s cross-country team sprint qualifying race at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games. As the skiers raced down the hill, the large dog was seen running alongside the athletes and even crossed the finish line.

A surprise participant in Wednesday’s action at the Milan Cortina Olympics had four legs and zero concern for race times.

Humans being pulled along on a sled across picturesque, snow-covered landscapes by a group of agile, energetic dogs is an image that won’t be seen at Milan Cortina in 2026, but the practice of sled dog racing does have Olympic history.

The canine delighted social media users after he got onto the course during the women's cross-country team sprint qualifiers.

A Czechoslovakian wolfdog joined the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics cross-country ski course, echoing the 1932 Lake Placid sled dog trials.

VIDEO: A surprise four-legged competitor became a fan-favorite during Wednesday's cross-country competition at the Winter Olympics. (Photo: OBS via AP)

A husky with lots of enthusiasm but no credentials gatecrashed a women's team sprint cross-country race on Wednesday at the Milan Cortina Olympics, giving an impromptu performance that had spectators howling with delight.

In this image taken from video provided by Olympic Broadcasting Services, OBS, a dog runs onto the track near the finish during the heats of the cross-country skiing women's team sprint free at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (Olympic Broadcasting Services via AP)

The dog disrupted only qualifiers, not the final event. Sweden managed to win the gold medal in the final, with Switzerland taking silver and Germany winning bronze.

This was a tail for the record books. Alice Varesco, a former Olympic skier, got the shock of her life when she spotted her dog on national TV — sprinting down the homestretch of a Winter Olympic cross-country race,