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Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes' girlfriend, Olivia Dunne, was on the gymnastics team of LSU. Dunne met Skenes at campus, where they began their romantic relationship.
Many high-profile athletes studied at the university, from Olympic gold medalists to champions at major sports leagues in the U.S. In her appearance on Stephanie McMahon's "What's Your Story" podcast, Dunne was asked to name her Mount Rushmore of Tigers athletes.
"I'm gonna start with Haleigh Bryant," Dunne said on Monday (49:20). "She's my best friend and was one of my teammates at LSU. GOAT of gymnastics. She is an icon. I love her. And she has the most All-American titles ever, so she's going on the Mount Rushmore."
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Haleigh Bryant won three gold and two bronze medals for LSU at the NCAA Division I Championships. She is now an assistant coach for the Tigers' gymnastics team.
"I would say Mondo Duplantis," Dunne said. "He is a track runner that constantly is setting records, breaking world records. Olympic champion. Really nice guy. He's going on the Mount Rushmore."
Duplantis is a Swedish-American pole vaulter who has won two Olympic and World Championship gold medals. Dupantis represents Sweden and holds the world record at 6.28 meters. He left the program after his freshman year to concentrate on his professional career.
"I would say Joe Burrow," Dunne said. "Have to go with him. Obviously, you have to. I can't decide between Paul (Skenes) and Shaq (O'Neal). I have to go with Paul. Sorry, Shaq, but I have to."
Shaquille O'Neal studied at LSU from 1989 to 1992, but left during his junior year to play in the NBA. He returned to complete his education, completing his bachelor's degree in general studies in 2000.
Meanwhile, Skenes played his sophomore season with the Tigers after competing for the Air Force Falcons in his freshman year. He led LSU to the NCAA Division I Championship, and the Pittsburgh Pirates picked him at No. 1 in 2023.
Paul Skenes' girlfriend Olivia Dunne opens up about her love for gymnastics
While Paul Skenes loves to bamboozle sluggers, his girlfriend, Olivia Dunne's, passion is gymnastics. It is a sport that she has been practicing since she was three years old.
In the interview with Stephanie McMahon, Dunne opened up about how her love for the sport came about. She revealed that she dabbled in softball before shifting her focus completely on gymnastics.
"I would say I always loved to climb things," Dunne said on Monday (01:46), via the "What's Your Story" podcast.
"I was climbing cabinets when I was three. I just always loved to move around. And I tried softball when I was young, and it was more of like a team dynamic. Whereas though, I would be playing first base and I would try and run across the field to go and catch balls in the outfield."
Dunne admitted she didn't trust anyone, and that she was a bad choice for a team sport. However, her destiny was in her hands in gymnastics, making it the ideal sport for her.
