Olivia Dunne’s Heartfelt Moment With Hezly Rivera Wins Gymnastics Community’s Hearts: ‘Baby Tiger’

Hezly Riviera had a Paris Olympics campaign to remember. Being the youngest American in the whole contingent, people would have expected her to be nervous. However, she defied expectations by helping Team USA secure gold in the team final, even though she only competed in the qualifying round. This made her the youngest US athlete to win an Olympic gold since 2012.

With such an impressive start, Hezly’s future looks incredibly bright. So, it was a huge boost for the LSU Tigers when Hezly announced that she had committed to them on a full athletic scholarship. She took to social media to announce her decision, saying, “I am so blessed & excited to announce that I have verbally committed to Louisiana State University (LSU) on a full athletic scholarship.”

On September 23rd, Hezly Rivera visited Baton Rouge for an official tour of LSU. During her visit, she met up with Lady Tigers star athlete and NIL powerhouse Olivia Dunne, and the two snapped a picture together. There have been speculations that Olivia played a big role in Hezly’s decision to commit to LSU. This is because Dunne has turned the university into a hot spot for athletes looking to capitalize on NIL opportunities. Livvy, the highest-paid female NIL athlete, has masterfully leveraged her social media fame to rake in sponsorship deals. Hezly, fresh off her Olympic success, could easily follow suit and land some big-name sponsors of her own.

Adding a heartwarming touch, SportsCenter posted a ‘How it started vs. How it’s going’ side-by-side featuring Hezly and Olivia. The post showcased a throwback photo of the two gymnasts when they were younger, followed by their recent picture together, and fans absolutely loved it. The reunion after all these years brought out plenty of smiles and warm reactions!

Fans couldn’t help but gush over the photo, feeling Hezly Rivera was fortunate to reunite with Olivia Dunne, especially now that they had crossed paths both in childhood and at LSU. They also speculated that Livvy being part of LSU was the reason Hezly decided to join the Tiger Nation. However, despite the excitement fans cannot expect both of them to become teammates, donning the LSU colors at the same time.

Hezly Rivera will start competing for the LSU Tigers after her high school graduation in 2026. On the other hand, this will be Olivia Dunne’s last season competing at the NCAA. She has already completed her four-year graduation but exercised the option to compete at the university level for another year.

By the time Hezly dons the LSU colors, Olivia will have moved on to her post-LSU journey. Even though they won’t be teammates, the gymnastics community was thrilled to see the two in the same frame, both in the throwback and the recent photo. It was a reunion that tugged at fans’ hearts, even if we won’t see them compete side-by-side at LSU.

Gymternet cannot get enough of the Tiger duo Olivia Dunne and Hezly Rivera’s throwback photo

Seeing the wholesome throwback post, Olivia Dunne herself commented on Instagram, saying, “My baby tiger!!! 💜💛🐯.” Her reaction showed that her relationship with Hezly was very cordial, and both of them were fond of each other. Her words also laid bare the five-year age difference between both of them. The photo also made Hezly’s father, Henry, react as he shared the post on his Instagram story with the caption, “So proud of these two amazing humans. @hezrivera, keep working and dreaming. Geaux Tigers.” 

One user from the gymnastics community said, “I forgot they were both at ENA Paramus! Another potential reason Hezly chose LSU. Such a cute photo!!” ENA Paramus is a training gym located in New Jersey where both Olivia Dunne and Hezly Rivera trained when they were young. The fan speculated that both of them may have kept in touch, making Hezly take the decision to join the same university. A user remarked how cute they looked as children, saying, “They were so baby🥹🥹🥹” 

Another user talked about how Hezly is extremely lucky for getting this opportunity. “Ahhhh, this is so precious!! Getting to be on the same team with an Olympian she grew up watching and on the same college team, as somebody from her home gym is the coolest. So happy for her!” While Hezly Rivera and Olivia Dunne won’t compete together, there’s no doubt Olivia can pass on some of her wisdom as a veteran LSU gymnast. Having Livvy as a mentor would be a huge benefit for Hezly, especially as she navigates college athletics and the NIL landscape.

In the bigger picture, LSU’s signing of Hezly is an absolute masterstroke. It could seriously boost their chances of reclaiming the National Championship title. By the time the LA Olympics roll around, Hezly will have gained valuable experience from both her time at LSU and her Olympic debut, making her an even stronger contender.