What a time to be a gymnastics fan in the USA right now! If you thought the action stopped with the conclusion of the 2024 Paris Games, you were wrong! As another thrilling season of the NCAA Gymnastics Championships approaches, all eyes are on the collegiate stars once again, and Olivia Dunne is at the helm of it all. The LSU queen announced in July that she would indeed return for another year with the Lady Tigers, and fans can’t wait to see Livvy back in her natural habitat. But will she get enough chances to showcase her skills to satiate the fans?

In an article by the New York Post from September 10, Livvy Dunne talks about how she’s itching to embark on yet another spectacular NCAA season. Last year Dunne was part of the historic LSU squad that brought the program its first-ever national gymnastics title. For obvious reasons, the gymnast is still basking in its glory, but she seems to have a nagging thought plaguing her mind.

In the interview, Dunne noted how she sometimes found it difficult to maintain her love for the sport, and how being an alternate for most of the 2023–24 season has contributed to her thought process. But she’s also working hard to overcome her personal reservations and put her team’s needs first. “You’re happy for everyone else, but it stings for a minute,” quotes the article on how the NIL (name, image, and likeliness) celebrity felt after being benched at an important game against Arkansas last season. However, she also understands that the team’s goals must be prioritized, and that head coach Jay Clark makes the call after serious thoughts.

“I am the alternate most of the time and I’ve kind of accepted that role because everyone works equally as hard in the gym,” Dunne doesn’t beat around the bush about how she’s willing to do whatever is necessary to help the Tigers’ cause and noted how the competition at such a level is bound to be incredibly tough. While it remains to be seen if the upcoming season sees more action from Livvy, ardent fans will feel skeptical, especially considering how little she was named in the first team at the Tigers’ meets in the 2023-24 season.

Olivia Dunne’s last shot at setting the record straight

Olivia Dunne competed in nine meets for the Tigers last season, and she did pretty well every time she showed up. She participated in floor events eight times and matched her career high of 9.900 twice. In March this year, she was among the best performers at the prestigious Podium Challenge and recorded her season-best scores on the bars and the floor exercise.

With an average of 9.857 on the floor and a 9.838 on the bars, Dunne proved her salt with style, and naturally, fans were eager to see how she did at the 2024 NCAA Gymnastics Championships. However, surprisingly, she was benched in both the semis and the finals in the tournament, and fans clamored that they were deprived of watching Dunne’s graceful routines.

And now, the same troubling matter looms overhead once again as many of Dunne’s emphatic teammates are also set to make their comeback for one last NCAA ride. With SEC Gymnast of the Year Haleigh Bryant also announcing her return, fans speculate if Dunne’s final year with the Tigers will once again see her lurking in the shadows for most of the season. Do you think Coach Clark will heed the fans’ demands and give Dunne more time under the spotlight than the last time? Only time will tell!