For any gymnast, meeting Simone Biles isn’t just a dream, it’s the dream. So when the GOAT herself strolled into LSU’s gym recently, the place was practically vibrating with excitement. Biles didn’t just make a quick cameo either. She brought her A-game, hyping up the team, sharing smiles, and giving off that ‘champion energy’ that only she can. But while the LSU gymnastics team soaked in the once-in-a-lifetime vibes, one big name was noticeably missing: Olivia Dunne.

Well, we know that after LSU secured the No. 1 overall seed heading into the postseason, the Lady Tigers had even more excitement in store. The biggest surprise? Simone Biles, the GOAT of gymnastics, popped into LSU’s facility to show her support and give the team a dose of inspiration. Biles made the trip to Baton Rouge to surprise her close friend, freshman standout Zoe Miller, who’s already turning heads in her first season with the Tigers. But the real buzz? That came when Biles took to Instagram, sending fans into a frenzy with her post!

Inside Gymnastics recently shared a group photo of the entire LSU gymnastics team posing together. But sharp-eyed fans noticed something, or rather, someone, missing. The comments section lit up with questions, and one fan summed it up perfectly: “Livvy Dunne not in the post.” That was the real question on everyone’s mind. So, where was Olivia Dunne?

Dunne, the highest-paid female athlete in the NCAA, was noticeably absent due to an unfortunate setback. She’s been sidelined with an avulsion fracture of her patella, an injury that not only kept her out of LSU’s final home meet but also likely prevented her from meeting Simone Biles. Even though Dunne couldn’t be there to fangirl over Biles, she wasn’t exactly lying low.

On that same day, March 26, Olivia Dunne was out there making headlines in a whole different way. It was revealed that she’s returning to the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue for the third year in a row — and let’s just say, she brought the heat to Bermuda! Dunne was serving looks in two sets of animal-print bikinis that had fans doing a double-take.

She rocked a zebra-print asymmetrical bikini with cutouts and a string belt in one set, then switched it up with a leopard-print two-piece while posing against a rock wall with palm trees swaying in the background. But, if she could strike those poses on the same day (March 26), doesn’t that mean she could’ve been there to meet Simone too? Right?

Well, not exactly. Sports Illustrated Swimsuit photos dropped on March 26; that shoot was probably done way earlier. The photoshoot was likely wrapped up months ago, and March 26 was just the day the big reveal went public. However, we cannot ignore that Olivia Dunne has never hidden her admiration for Biles; she’s been a superfan since meeting her at just 12 years old back in 2015.

Olivia Dunne’s lifelong admiration for Simone Biles

Okay, picture this: it’s 2015, and 12-year-old Olivia Dunne is living her best life at the WOGA Classic, competing at the Junior Elite level. And who does she meet? Simone Biles, who was just a month shy of turning 18. For Dunne, this was a huge deal. She even snagged a photo with her, Nastia Liukin, and her future LSU teammate Madison Rau.

Of course, she had to flex that moment, captioning it: “Nastia, Simone, Maddie #wogaclassic2015.” Little Livvy was in fangirl heaven! But that was just the beginning. Fast forward to 2018, and Dunne is back at National Team camp. Who’s there again? Yep, Biles — but at that time, she was already a four-time Olympic gold medalist fresh off her Rio dominance.

Dunne couldn’t resist another photo-op, this time captioning it: “Back @ camp! #ntcamp!” Livvy was basically Biles’ No. 1 fan before the world even knew her name. Fast forward to 2024, and Dunne was still hyping up Biles. Right before the Paris Olympics, she told Sports Illustrated that Biles was about to go on a “revenge tour.”

Dunne had said, “Simone has always been a GOAT, and I think that this is, like, her revenge tour. What happened in (2021) was a freak thing, and I think that she is out for revenge. She’s gonna probably win.” And guess what? Livvy nailed it. Biles didn’t just come back. No, she owned Paris, walking away with three gold medals. In the process, she proved once again why she’s the queen of gymnastics.

Olivia Dunne knew all along that Biles wasn’t about to let the ‘twisties’ — that terrifying mental block that forced her out of the Tokyo Games — define her. And even though Dunne couldn’t meet Biles when she visited LSU recently, it’s safe to say her admiration hasn’t cooled one bit. Livvy’s been riding with Simone since day one, and that’s never changed.