“Benchwarmer.” Just as Olivia Dunne returned to reality after being soaked in her LSU glory last year, the young gymnast got a jolt. Sitting on the sidelines to witness the history unfold in front of her eyes, Dunne didn’t have an iota of problem as long as her team won. Well, the fans did have a problem. Soon after LSU’s victory last year, Dunne became the subject of online trolling. She was mocked for not getting picked up which made her take the decision to undo all the mockery this time. But alas! As the final run toward the NCAA gymnastics title begins, Olivia Dunne will have her dreams unfulfilled!
“Liv’s knee is still an issue,” is what Jay Clark stated back in February. And while an injury to an athlete is a common occurrence, Clark’s voice had a hint of uncomfortable heaviness. After all, Dunne was supposed to be the knight in shining armor for the LSU. Now, Dunne has battled injuries in the past too. Thus, Clark’s concern sounded all the more suspicious. Tinged with frustration, Clark described Dunne’s situation as “unusual.” Finally, in what came as a heartbreak both for the fans as well as Dunne, she was left out off LSU’s regional roster. But why? What’s so unique about the injury?
Well, Olivia Dunne seems to have an answer. In her recent TikTok post, Dunne uploaded a video where she could be seen heading for home. Quite expectedly, her fans were baffled as to why Dunne was packing up so early. In her comments section, one of the social media fans asked her why she did not compete. And this was when Dunne came up with the big reveal. The LSU heartthrob replied, “I’m recovering from a fractured kneecap.” Now, this was quite a serious issue. And in an instant, the looming cloud of uncertainty over Livvy’s appearance throughout this season got cleared.
However, in a different reply, one of the user asked her whether she would be coming back for a 9th season. To this, Dunne playfully answered, “I should.” Now then, whether or not Dunne comes back to college again, it will be expected that she does return to professional gymnastics soon. Afterall, this is not the first time she has been dealing with injuries. During her illustrious career, Dunne had suffered from a torn biceps, a couple of ruptured labrums, and a stress reaction in her legs back in the 2022-23 season.
And despite all these setbacks, the iron-clad resilience of Dunne has made her comeback to don the shining leotard time and again. However, this time the injury does feel quite different. So much so, that there are some serious question marks as to if we can ever watch Olivia Dunne take the gymnastics mat again!
Will Olivia Dunne’s latest injury be the end of her gymnastics career?
The knee injury that has struck Dunne is nothing short of a devastating blow, as it could potentially derail her gymnastics career. The 22-year-old recently revealed she’s suffering from an ‘avulsion fracture of my patella,’ a serious injury that could take anywhere from three to six months—or more—for a full recovery. While she hasn’t competed since January 24, Livvy’s absence from senior night only amplified concerns about whether she’ll ever return to the competition floor.
An avulsion fracture of the patella occurs when a fragment of the kneecap is violently pulled away due to the excessive force of surrounding tendons or ligaments. It’s not just painful. It’s precarious! More so for a gymnast whose routines rely heavily on explosive power and knee stability. The Cureus Journal of Medical Science explains that this injury is often the result of an “excessive pull of the quadriceps tendon or patellar ligament.” In Dunne’s case, the damage is enough to leave her sidelined during one of the most emotionally significant meets of her college career.
“It absolutely breaks my heart not to get the opportunity to compete in the PMAC one last time,” Olivia shared on her Instagram update. With NCAA championships around the corner, the possibility of a return remains uncertain—while the risk of this being her final curtain call looms large.
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