Olivia Dunne claps back at critic who ‘never understood the hype’ about her after retirement from gymnastics

Olivia Dunne recently gave fans a glimpse of her life after retiring from gymnastics, and came under fire from a critic who claimed they ‘never understood’ the hype about her. Responding to the criticism, the youngster was quick to clap back, penning a four-word message for the troll.

Dunne is one of the best known gymnasts of the NCAA, competing for Louisiana State University. The 22-year-old joined the Tigers in 2020, and recently wrapped up her gymnastics career after the team was unable to make it to the NCAA championships finals. Outside of the gym, the American enjoys a large following on social media, and often gives fans behind-the-scenes glimpses of her everyday life.

Most recently, Olivia Dunne took to Instagram to share a hilarious video of herself enduring multiple falls as she worked out on the uneven bars after her retirement. She captioned the video,

“This went better in my head.”

Reacting to the video, a critic commented,

“I never understood the hype.”

To this, Dunne was quick to clap back, replying,

“It’s okay, me either.”

During her fifth and final year with the LSU Tigers, Olivia Dunne registered a strong start to her season, competing on the floor and balance beams in multiple meets. However, half-way through the season, the gymnast suffered an avulsion fracture in her patella, which subsequently put her out of action.

Olivia Dunne reflects on retiring from gymnastics

Olivia Dunne and the LSU Tigers entered the 2025 NCAA gymnastics season as the defending champions, having lifted the trophy last year. However, this time around, the team was unable to make it out of the semifinals. After their defeat, Dunne officially retired from gymnastics.

Reflecting on her retirement, Dunne told PEOPLE Magazine that she would have more freedom moving forward, saying,

“I’m going to have more freedom. I’m going to have way more freedom. I’ve been a competitive gymnast since I was three years old.”

She went on to add that she was hoping to make the most of her new-found freedom by spending time with her boyfriend and MLB star Paul Skenes.

“I’m super excited to be able to spend time with Paul. I’ve always had to train during my summers and stuff. So to be able to not have to do gymnastics training and be able to spend more time in Pittsburgh with Paul enjoying the baseball season, I’m looking forward to that.”

Looking forward to her future after gymnastics, Olivia Dunne has revealed that she hopes to work in the field of NIL. During her career with the Tigers, the gymnast was the highest paid female NIL athlete, and certainly has experience in the arena.