The Milan–Cortina Winter Games briefly went to the dogs on Wednesday after an unregistered, four-legged contender made an unscheduled bid for Olympic glory in the women’s cross-country team free sprint.The enthusiastic canine bounded onto the piste in Tesero and, despite lacking skis, accreditation or any apparent understanding of the rules, gamely chased down competitors Konstantina Charalampidou of Greece and Croatia’s Tena Hadzic, news agency AFP reported.For a fleeting moment, it looked like the race had gained an extra participant with impeccable stamina and zero regard for sporting protocol.

The dog even crossed the finish line before officials finally intervened, ending his medal hopes and escorting him off the course.His brief Olympic adventure ended when officials caught up with him and led him away, bringing an abrupt close to the only unscheduled entry in the race.