Olivia Dunne drops 1 word reaction as she unites with Ilona Maher during popular Magazine cover shoot

Former LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne recently reunited with rugby player and Olympic medalist Ilona Maher. The two sporting icons are part of the cover shoot for Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition this year.

The 22-year-old gymnast was extremely excited to meet Maher, who is equally popular on social media. Dunne posted a picture with Maher on her Instagram timeline, where she dropped a one-word reaction about their reunion.

Dunne wrote on her Instagram story,

"FAV@ilonamaher"

Screengrab of Ilona Maher's photo with Olivia Dunne [Image Source : Olivia Dunne's Instagram]

The Olympian reciprocated the lovely gesture by reposting the photo on her Instagram timeline, tagging the former LSU gymnast in the process. This is the third time that Dunne is appearing for a Sports Illustrated magazine photoshoot since her debut in 2023, while it is only the second appearance for Maher, who had made her debut in 2024.

Olivia Dunne had previously been accompanied by her mother Katherine Dunne to the Swimsuit cover photoshoot session in Bermuda a couple of weeks ago. Before that, the former LSU gymnast was accompanied by her sister cum manager, Julz Dunne, to the launch party of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit magazine, where the latter impressed in a bright red dress.

Olivia Dunne reacts to LSU Gymnastics' online tribute to her former teammate Sierra Ballard

Olivia Dunne reacts to LSU Gymnastics' heartfelt tribute to former teammate Sierra Ballard [Image Source : Instagram, Getty Images]

Olivia Dunne recently reacted to a heartfelt online tribute paid by the LSU Gymnastics to herself and Sierra Ballard. Both the gymnasts had bid farewell to the LSU Tigers this year after completing their final year of eligibilty.

The Instagram page of LSU Gymnastics posted an online video about Ballard, with the following caption,

"The heart and soul of a Tiger. Thankful for this Louisiana girl who forever left her mark on Tiger Nation"

Dunne reacted to the post by sending purple hearts in the comment section,

"💜💜💜"

Screengrab of Olivia Dunne's reaction to online tribute to Sierra Ballard [Image Source : LSU Gymnastics' Instagram]

Sierra Ballard joined the LSU Tigers in the 2021 season, a bit later than Olivia Dunne. Both the gymnasts led the LSU Tigers to unprecedented glory, including its maiden NCAA Championship title in 2024, as well as the SEC Championships held last year. Both ended their collegiate careers after the LSU Tigers were unable to defend their title this year at the NCAA Gymnastics Championships 2025.

About the author

Animesh Pandey is a seasoned content writer at Sportskeeda with over eight years of experience, having previously worked as an intern for Follow Your Sport before joining SK as a columnist in 2017. A graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing, he also worked at TFI Media Private Limited and contributed as an intern for the movie website Nettv4u.

He has extensively covered events from World Championships to the Olympics, providing insights and analyses that resonate with his audience. His belief in mastering the basics and delivering accurate, relevant, and ethical information through thorough research is reflected in his work.

He was notably invited to the National Sports and Adventure Awards 2018 at Rashtrapati Bhavan after winning a MyGov quiz on Indian Sports, where he engaged with celebrated athletes such as Rahi Sarnobat, Hima Das, Jinson Johnson, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, and Subedar Neeraj Chopra, who also happens to be his favorite Olympian.

Despite being a field hockey enthusiast, Animesh's most cherished Olympic moments include Wayde Van Niekerk's unexpected world record in the 400 meters at Rio and Chopra's historic gold medal in Tokyo.

When not immersed in writing or watching the Olympics, Animesh indulges in his love for movies, embracing quality cinema regardless of the language.

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Edited by Pratham K Sharma