Photo: ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT / AFP / Getty Images
The Winter Games had an unexpected four-legged finalist when a dog suddenly dashed onto the course during the women’s cross-country team sprint qualifier earlier this week, chasing skiers from Team Croatia and Team Australia as they crossed the finish line.
The playful pup sniffed exhausted athletes, soaked up belly rubs from volunteers, and even got its own official photo-finish moment thanks to Omega’s high-tech camera system.
Sweden later clinched gold in the final, with Switzerland and Germany taking silver and bronze, and the U.S. team coming in fifth, though they were all outpaced by the day’s most enthusiastic surprise sprinter.