LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne under tight security after Utah incident as 21 Y/O star prepares to enter senior year: Reports
LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne has proactively enhanced her personal security in preparation for the upcoming college gymnastics season that begins in January. The popular athlete appears not to be leaving any stone unturned concerning her safety.
Following a distressing crowd incident at Utah last year, Dunne said that LSU has played a crucial role in assisting her in implementing necessary security measures ahead of the new season.
"Actually, we've got it settled down a bit,” Dunne said. "We haven't competed since last season, so we'll see what this season holds. But after the incident in Utah that happened last year, we now have a security guard that travels with the LSU gymnastics team.”
The chaotic incident in Utah in 2022
Security concerns have risen for Olivia Dunne since the chaotic scene that occurred at the University of Utah last year. She was injured at the time and couldn't participate in the meet. However, fans in Utah couldn’t take not seeing her involved in the competition.
According to Sports Illustrated, a group of young men congregated outside the building, chanting for her during the routines of other gymnasts. They reportedly chanted, "We want Livvy! Give us Livvy!" This led to chaos and raised concerns about her safety.
“I will always appreciate and love the support from you guys, but if you come to a meet, I want to ask you to please be respectful of the other gymnasts and the gymnastics community as we are just doing our job,” Dunne tweeted following the incident.
Olivia Dunne learning to balance things up
Getting ready for her senior season at LSU, Olivia Dunne expressed gratitude for her time at the university, highlighting how it has aided her in learning to navigate and manage her growing fame.
"Last year was probably one of the most rewarding and most difficult years of my life," Dunne said. "Just having so many eyes on me was such a new feeling, but it was pretty cool at the same time. … I've definitely learned over the past few years that, this past year mostly, that keeping certain things private is OK."
With her romantic relationship with baseball player Paul Skenes, a former LSU star drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates this summer, now in the public eye, there’s a need to give an extra layer of importance to maintaining balance in her life.