Former LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne is now a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model and was in the Caribbean country of Bermuda for a photo shoot. She teased what the upcoming Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue would have and showed off three stunning new bikinis, including a red and white two-piece while driving a golf cart.
View this post on Instagram
Olivia Dunne, who has since left LSU, has been working as a swimsuit model for Sports Illustrated since 2023, as she was still recovering from a patella fracture that forced her to miss participating in LSU’s senior night festivities. She has been featured in various issues of the magazine and its swimsuit runway shows.
The former LSU star gymnast went viral during the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Runway Show last month. As she was strutting down the runway in a bikini, Dunne broke into a forward split that had many people talking.
Livvy Dunne performs a split during Sports Illustrated runway show 👀
pic.twitter.com/ZsrlkBUP6e— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) June 1, 2025
As to why the former LSU star suddenly did a split in the middle of the runway, she explained that she did this because she was dared. To be precise, she was “triple dog dared” to do it.
I got triple dog dared pic.twitter.com/ydkBLOTDy9
— Olivia Dunne (@livvydunne) June 2, 2025
Dunne added that the entire thing was supposed to just be a joke and called it a “spur-of-the-moment decision.” Still, she admitted that the other models and the Sports Illustrated organizers did not expect that she would do that while in the middle of a fashion show.
Olivia Dunne Opens Up on Growing Up in a Leotard and Practicing Gymnastics From a Young Age
Like most gymnasts, Olivia Dunne practiced the sport from a very young age. Also, like most gymnasts, she understood the pressure of always wearing a leotard and doing well in such a sport. During her interview with Stephanie McMahon of the WWE, she said:
“Gymnastics, you grow up in a leotard. That is so hard. So it’s really hard growing up in a leotard, having these eyes on you and having to feel perfect.”
As she reached college, Dunne noticed that she had attracted even further attention, with a bigger male audience following her.
“I did have a very big male audience at the beginning of my college career, and that was hard. It was hard to feel like people were watching me, judging me,” she explained.
The Sports Illustrated swimsuit model also noted that men would be turned off by her muscles, with some calling her a linebacker or a football player. She then urged younger women to feel more confident about their own bodies.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, basketball, and more!
