Olivia Dunne Reveals Shocking Reason Behind Abrupt Split Drop in Viral Catwalk Stunner

Ever wonder what happens when a national champion gymnast turns runway model and decides, on a whim, to drop a perfect split in the middle of a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit show? Well, Olivia Dunne—yes, that dazzling LSU Tigers prodigy who’s been flipping from the gymnastics floor to the cover of Sports Illustrated—did just that, and oh boy, the internet is eating it up. At 22, Olivia’s not just flaunting a killer athletic physique in a spotted bikini with red bows; she’s flipping the script on what it means to own the runway—even if it meant taking a triple dog dare to seal the deal. And get this: she pulled off that jaw-dropping split while shooting with a fractured kneecap… talk about dedication or just plain stubbornness! Curious about the full story behind that viral moment and the highs and lows of her fearless strut? LEARN MORE

Olivia Dunne has revealed the inspiration behind the viral moment she decided to drop the splits during a runway show over the weekend.

The former LSU Tigers gymnast, 22, made her debut with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit in 2023, and was one of the four women who had covered this year’s editions, joining the likes of Lauren Chan, Salma Hayek and Jordan Chiles.

“That is crazy. I am a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model. Oh my god, I’m crying. I am a Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover model. Are you kidding me?” she told the outlet during an interview last month.

Well the stage was indeed set, as Dunne was clearly enjoying herself at the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit runway show on Saturday (31 May).

Gymnast Olivia Dunne was at the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit runway show on Saturday (31 May) (Ivan Apfel/Getty Images)

Wearing a black and white spotted bikini accented with red bows, the national championship winner confidently strutted across the stage, showing off her athletic physique.

However, the moment of the day came when Dunne walked to the edge of the runway and dropped an impressive split onto the ground.

She apparently ‘ate’, according to social media (Ivan Apfel/Getty Images)

The clip has gone viral.

“If I could do the splits I would at any given chance she KILLED THISSS,” one fan commented, as another added: “The best walk and EVERYTHING I’ve seen so far.”

“Y’all hating but she ate down idc what anyone says,” a third penned. “I don’t see y’all walking in swim week lol.”

It’s a fair point.

Explaining why she did what she did, Dunne wrote on X: “I got triple dog dared.”

As you’ve probably guessed, a triple dog dare ‘loosely means ‘I dare you’ three times over and is meant to be more serious or exaggerated than a plain ‘I dare you’,’ says a random person on Reddit.

Probably not the best source, but I can’t think of a better explanation.

Surprisingly enough, whether she would even be able to perform was previously in doubt after a behind-the-scenes video from her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit revealed that she was dealing with a knee injury.

Dunne is a national championship winning gymnast (Stew Milne/Getty Images)

“Fun fact, I was shooting on a fractured kneecap, so poses like this and the cover shot kind of hurt, but it was honestly so worth it,” she said in the clip which was shared on Instagram.

In March, Dunne was also stuck on the sidelines, ‘dealing with an avulsion fracture of my patella’.

“It absolutely breaks my heart to not get the opportunity to compete in the PMAC one last time. Tiger fans, you’ve been so good to me! Thank you for the endless support and as always Geaux Tigers! – Liv,” she wrote on social media at the time.