- Olivia Dunn was announced as a rookie swimsuit model in Sports Illustrated at the age of 21
- It represents another key moment in a whirlwind year for the LSU gymnast
- DailyMail.com provides the latest international sports news
Olivia Dunn followed in the footsteps of Emily Ratajkowski and Olivia Culpo by being named Sports Illustrated’s Rookie of the Year in Swimsuit.
The LSU gymnast appeared on the cover earlier this year after doing a photo shoot in Puerto Rico, and the 21-year-old was thrilled to have the opportunity to return again in 2024.
“Coming back for year two, I mean I said last year it was a dream come true, and nothing has changed,” she said.
‘It’s still a dream come true. I can’t believe I can call myself a beginner. It feels unreal.
She shared a video on her Instagram as part of Tuesday’s big announcement of her new photoshoot — for which she traveled to Porto, Portugal.
“Today we’re in Porto, Portugal, filming the 60th anniversary of Swimming for Sports Illustrated!”, says the gymnast, who is dating MLB draft pick Paul Skinnes, in the footage.
Dunne also shared a photo from the shoot to her Instagram Story – as well as a photo of a cake to celebrate the news with the word “newbie” written in the icing.
Ratajkowski was named a starter in 2014, and Culpo, who is engaged to San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey, also earned the honor in 2018.
It represents another big moment in what has been a whirlwind year for Dunn.
She had to permanently switch to online classes at LSU due to their overwhelming popularity.
“There have been some concerns in the past, and I just want to be as careful as possible,” she told Elle. I don’t want people to know my daily schedule and where I am.
LSU’s first gymnastics meet of 2023 turned out a raucous — and young — male crowd to catch a glimpse of Dunne; They chant and are said to suggest other gymnasts.
“It was our first meeting of the season,” Dunne told Elle. “I knew that my success had increased compared to previous years, but I did not expect so many people to be there to see me and my team.
“I didn’t really realize it until after the meeting when I watched his videos. I was like, ‘Holy moly.’
This led LSU gymnastics to hire a bodyguard to protect her and the team from the hordes of teenage fans who were gathering at her meets.
Away from gymnastics, Dunne’s NIL deals have seen profits of around $3 million over the past 12 months.
