Olivia Dunne Opens Up About Astonishing Runway Split During Fashion Show

Olivia Dunne, a erstwhile LSU Tigers gymnast and celebrated societal media star, dished connected nan backstory connected really she decided to do a divided during a Sports Illustrated Runway Show successful Miami earlier this year.

The nationalist champion appeared connected nan screen of nan Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition this twelvemonth and was capable to locomotion nan runway for nan first time. She explained connected "What’s Your Story? With Stephanie McMahon" that she was capable to participate successful nan show because she was retired of LSU and had nary request to commencement training for nan upcoming season.

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Olivia Dunne does a divided during nan Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Runway Show connected May 31, 2025, successful Miami Beach, Florida. (Ivan Apfel/Getty Images)

During nan May show, she strutted down nan walkway successful a achromatic and achromatic polka dot bathing suit that featured reddish bows successful nan beforehand and down toward her hips. As she reached nan extremity of nan aisle, she dropped into a split.

She told McMahon successful a caller section of nan erstwhile WWE executive’s podcast that she was tense to do nan show because she had ne'er walked down a runway, fto unsocial been astatine 1 of nan manner shows before.

"I went to Miami. I had nary hint what to expect," Dunne explained. "I’ve ne'er walked a runway a time successful my life. I’ve only ever walked successful my chamber reflector aft watching nan Vicotria’s Secret Fashion Show increasing up. I’ve virtually ne'er walked a runway. 

"So, I get to nan rehearsal and you conscionable do a speedy tally done of nan show. Literally, 2 hours earlier nan show. And they’re like, ‘OK, Liv, you’re opening nan show.’ Oh shoot, I’ve ne'er moreover watched personification locomotion down nan runway successful person."

Livvy Dunne walks nan runway astatine nan Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Runway Show successful Miami Beach, Florida. (Ivan Apfel/Getty Images)

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Dunne said she consulted nan group she believed wouldn’t sway her from doing it.

"So, I sewage to unfastened nan show pinch a Sports Illustrated T-shirt on, which was truthful cool and it was an iconic moment," Dunne said. "And then, I decided correct aft nan rehearsal, I remember, I was talking pinch my sister – I was consulting pinch only group I knew would work together pinch me. I was like, ‘Should I do a split?’ And they were like, ‘… Yeah. Just spell for it.’ So, I asked nan head, woman (SI editor MJ Day) and she was conscionable like, ‘Honestly, conscionable person nosy pinch it because this is not an mean runway. This isn’t stoic …’ And I kinda deliberation dropping into a divided would beryllium nosy and show my athleticism. And I don’t deliberation I’ve ever seen anybody do it.

"When watching a manner show for illustration Sports Illustrated, they wanna spot personality, they wanna spot movement, they wanna spot you having nan clip of your life, because it really was successful nan moment. It was truthful fun. And yeah, I oiled myself up and dropped into a split.… It was truthful overmuch fun."

Dunne was 1 of 4 screen models, on pinch Lauren Chan, Salma Hayek and Jordan Chiles.

She has been 1 of nan most-followed athletes connected societal media since she joined LSU. She boasts much than 8 cardinal followers connected TikTok and different 5.4 cardinal connected Instagram. She helped nan Tigers to a nationalist title successful 2024, but her last twelvemonth pinch LSU was derailed because of an injury.

Gymnast Livvy Dunne connected nan section pursuing nan crippled betwixt nan Pirates and nan San Francisco Giants astatine PNC Park connected May 23, 2024, successful Pittsburgh. (Justin Berl/Getty Images)

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Since then, she’s been spotted cheering connected her fellow Paul Skenes arsenic he makes waves successful MLB pinch the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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