The Likely Reason Olivia Dunne Isn't On The USA Gymnastics' Paris Olympics Team

There's no question that Olivia Dunne has become one of the faces of the U.S. gymnastics scene, so it may come as a surprise to many that she's not set to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games. However, Dunne wasn't one of the athletes snubbed from the Paris Olympics. Quite the contrary, she revealed back in 2021 that she had no plans to compete in the world's biggest sporting event. The reason? Her health came first. 

Dunne made it clear that she wasn't hoping to qualify for the Olympics in an episode of the "BFFs: Dave Portnoy, Josh Richards & Bri Chickenfry" podcast. This, despite pointing out that she actually had been on track to try out at one point. "I was an elite gymnast, which meant you were training for the Olympics," she explained. However, a few years into her career, she injured herself. "I got hurt when I was about, I think, 15 or 16 years old. My bone had, like, died in my ankle, and it fractured. ... I was like, maybe this isn't for me anymore," she recounted. 

While that may sound like a tragic detail for Dunne, she certainly doesn't see it that way. For starters, she told "BFFs" that shifting her focus away from elite gymnastics meant she could prioritize her own wellbeing. More recently, she doubled down on that in a video compilation of Olympics hopefuls injuring themselves, posted to TikTok. "Snubbed fr," she joked in the caption. No regrets detected!

Olivia Dunne's ankle injury wasn't the only reason she was willing to walk away from elite gymnastics and her dream of competing at the 2024 Olympics. As she said during a "BFFs: David Portnoy, Josh Richards & Bri Chickenfry" appearance, "The elite gymnastics program is pretty dysfunctional." Dunne didn't go into detail, but she did address it in a small way during a 2023 chat with Elle that saw her recall her experiences at the since-shut-down Karolyi Ranch. 

"I remember the first time I went, I thought it was going to be a fun summer camp with gymnastics. No. I was completely wrong," Dunne explained. "It was honestly abusive there." Still, Dunne stuck it out for six summers. As she explained to Elle, "That was the only way to make your dreams come true as a gymnast." However, once she was done, she never looked back.

That's not to say Dunne isn't super supportive of gymnasts headed to Paris, though. Speaking to Sports Illustrated on the 2024 ESPYs red carpet, she praised Simone Biles. In reference to Biles pulling out of the last Olympics for mental health reasons, Dunne noted that she believed she'd come back stronger than ever. "I think she's out for revenge and she's gonna probably win," she said. As for Dunne, she'll be happy to support from home.