Livvy Dunne decides to leave gymnastics after LSU loses chance at third consecutive championship spot

Livvy Dunne has seemingly called time on her gymnastics career after LSU missed out on the national championship Thursday night. 

Dunne and the Tigers failed to seal back-to-back NCAA championships this week when they finished third in the semifinals, marking the social media sensation’s final meet in the purple and gold.

However, it appears it was Dunne’s final occasion in a leotard of any color as she took to social media to bid farewell to the sport. 

‘out gymnastics it’s been real… and of course forever LSU!,’ the 22-year-old, who is dating Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, wrote on X following Thursday’s upset.

LSU, the No. 1 overall seed and defending champion, was denied a chance at a repeat, finished with a score of 197.5250, below Utah and UCLA.

Small errors on the uneven bars and beam proved costly for the Tigers as they fell to fourth place following the two opening rotations. 

Livvy Dunne has seemingly called time on her gymnastics career after LSU’s upset 

The defending NCAA champions failed to reach the Final Four, finishing third in the semifinals

Th social media sensation took to X following the meet to bid farewell to gymnastics 

The Tigers moved into second after the third rotation when Amari Drayton, Aleah Finnegan and Haleigh Bryant each notched scores of 9.9 or better on floor.

Meanwhile, LSU freshman Kailin Chio claimed the vault championship with a 9.975 to become the 19th individual champion by a Tiger and the eighth in the vault competition. 

But Emma Malabuyo secured UCLA’s bid to the championship after posting a 9.9750 on beam. The Bruins turned three straight 9.9s to close the rotation.

Olympian Jordan Chiles followed UCLA teammate Frida Esparza´s 9.9250 on uneven bars with a 9.9750 to take the top spot. Chiles joined teammate Brooklyn Moors (floor) as individual champions.

Utah, who posted a top score of 197.7625, clinched its fifth straight Final Four appearance and is seeking to add to its NCAA-leading nine championship titles on Saturday – with its first win since 1995.

Dunne herself, however, did not take to the floor for the Tigers in Thursday’s semifinal session. The influencer has been sidelined for the past month with an avulsion fracture in her kneecap. 

She suffered the season-ending injury last month, which forced her to miss her last ever Tigers home meet after fracturing her kneecap.

Despite the devastating injury blow, Dunne, sporting a knee brace, was still present for Senior Night ceremonies in Baton Rouge a few days later.

The 22-year-old traveled to Fort Worth to support her teammates, despite not competing 

The influencer has been sidelined for the past month with an avulsion fracture in her kneecap

Dunne, who boasts over five million Instagram followers, is dating MLB pitcher Paul Skenes

Despite being unable to compete, Dunne still made the trip to Fort Worth with the Tigers to support her teammate. 

She had remained hopeful of making a miraculous return in time for the championships, telling People that bars ‘wasn’t out of the question.’ 

‘I’m doing everything I can to be able to,’ she said on March 31. ‘I’m not sure what the case will be, but I don’t think I’ll be able to tumble or do beam.’

She then continued: ‘I’ve been swinging bars again, getting back in the swing of things, shall I say… And yeah, it’s been great to be able to move around again.’

However, despite her best efforts, Dunne failed to recover in time to bring the curtain down on what has been a successful – and extremely profitable – college career. 

The New Jersey native returned to LSU last fall for her final season after the Tigers won the national championship last year. 

Dunne had the option of returning to LSU for a fifth year – which she took – due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last season, she helped LSU win their first National Championship in history – an achievement that had a part in convincing her to return for year five.

The New Jersey native returned to LSU last fall for her fifth and final season

Dunne has posed for a photoshoot for the prestigious Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition

She has already appeared in several lucrative commercials, including Accelerator energy drink

Speaking to ESPN in February about her gymnastics goals for her final year, Dunne said: ‘I’m just trying to seize every opportunity and make the most of it and make those memories.

‘The travel meets are some of the best memories you’ll have when you’re a college athlete and being with the girls on the team.

‘Even just practice every day is special. These are my sisters, and that’s something I’ll never forget.’

As a student athlete, her gymnastics career has catapulted her to fame thanks to her millions social media followers. 

Her social media following is massive – she boasts 5.3million Instagram followers and another 8m on TikTok. 

Dunne, whose estimated $10m net worth makes her the highest-paid female athlete in college sports today. 

What her future holds from here is unknown but Dunne will have an array of high-profile options to choose from.

She has already appeared in several lucrative commercials, including one alongside Travis Kelce for an energy drink. Dunne has also posed for a photoshoot for the prestigious Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition.

Dunne pictured alongside golf influencer Paige Sprianac at a Sports Illustrated event

Dunne is widely expected to pursue a media career after her time at college with LSU 

Last year, Dunne helped LSU to win its first ever National Championship in gymnastics 

Earlier this year, she testified against a landmark $2.8billion settlement of the lawsuit filed by college athletes against the NCAA and its largest conferences.

Several athletes have criticized the sprawling plan – which will allow schools to make NIL (name, image and likeness) payments directly to athletes – as confusing and one that undervalues them.

U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken has already granted preliminary approval of the settlement involving the NCAA a nd the nation’s five largest conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC). The plan remains on track to take effect July 1 and clear the way for every school to share up to $20.5m each with its athletes annually.

But Dunne does not support the formula used to set an athlete’s NIL value, arguing that hers was estimated too low.

In a passionate testimony over Zoom, she described herself as ‘a Division I athlete, a businesswoman, and I’ve been the highest-earning female athlete since the NIL rules changed.’

She said the settlement hardly acknowledges her true value and potential earning power; a plaintiffs’ attorney later said Dunne would be receiving an updated allocation.

‘This settlement uses old logic to calculate modern value,’ she said. ‘It takes a narrow snapshot of a still maturing market and freezes it, ignoring the trajectory we were on and the deals we lost and the future we could have had.’