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Olivia Dunne, former LSU Tigers gymnast and popular social media star, explained on the background on the way she decided to split during an illustrated sports parade in Miami earlier this year.
The national champion appeared on the coverage of the Sports Équipted Swimsuit edition this year and was able to walk on the track for the first time. She explained “What is your story? With Stephanie McMahon” that she was able to participate in the series because she was out of LSU and did not need to start training for the coming season.
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Olivia Dunne makes a split during the Sports swimsuit parade illustrated on May 31, 2025, in Miami Beach, Florida. (Ivan Apfel / Getty Images)
During the May show, she strutted in the bridge in a black and white polka dot swimsuit which included red arcs at the front and down towards her hips. As she reached the end of the aisle, she fell into a split.
She told McMahon in a recent episode of the former WWE executive podcast that she was nervous to make the show because she had never walked on a track, not to mention one of the fashion shows before.
“I went to Miami. I didn’t know what to expect,” said Dunne. “I have never walked on a track per day of my life. I never entered my room mirror after watching the secret parade of the Vicotrie growing up. I literally never walked on a track.
“So, I arrive at the rehearsal and you just take a quick race for the show. Literally, two hours before the show. And they say:” Ok, Liv, you open the show. “Oh shoot, I never even watched someone get the track going into person.”
Livvy Dunne walks on the track of the Sports Illustrated Sports Bathroom Fair in Miami Beach, Florida. (Ivan Apfel / Getty Images)
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Dunne said that she had consulted people who, she said, would not prevent her from doing so.
“So, I was able to open the show with a Sports Illustrated T-shirt, which was so cool and it was an emblematic moment,” said Dunne. “And then, I decided right after the rehearsal, I remember, I was talking with my sister – I only looked for people I knew I knew with me. I said to myself:” Should I make a split? “And they were like: ‘… yeah. So, I asked the head, Lady (if Editor Mj Day) and she was like:” Honestly, have fun with that because it is not an ordinary track.
“Looking at a fashion show like Sports Illustrated, they want to see the personality, they want to see the movement, they want to see you spend the time of your life, because it was really in the moment. It was so fun. And yes, I got oiled and I fell into a split. … It was so fun.”
Dunne was one of the four cover models, with Lauren Chan, Salma Hayek and Jordan Chiles.
She was one of the most followed athletes on social networks since she joined the LSU. It has more than 8 million followers on Tiktok and 5.4 million others on Instagram. She helped Tigers in a national championship in 2024, but her last year with LSU derailed due to an injury.
Gymnast Livvy Dunne on the field after the match between the Pirates and the Giants of San Francisco at the PNC Park on May 23, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (Images Justin Berl / Getty)
Since then, she has been spotted by applauding her boyfriend Paul Skenes while he made waves in MLB with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
