Who Is Alina Kabaeva, The Mysterious Girlfriend Of Russian President Vladimir Putin?

Russian President Vladimir Putin is said to have been in a secret relationship with Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva since 2008.

Russian President Vladimir Putin with gymnast Alina Kabaeva at a Kremlin banquet in Moscow in 2004 (AP Photo)

New Delhi: Since he divorced his wife Lyudmila in 2013, rumors have swirled around Russian President Vladimir Putin's relationship with Alina Kabaeva. An Olympic gymnast in her youth and a former Russian MP, Kabaeva is believed to be Putin's longtime romantic partner.

The 70-year-old president is said to have been in a secret relationship with Alina Kabaeva since 2008.

In 2008, a Russian newspaper named Kabaeva as Putin's girlfriend, but the newspaper was closed soon after the article appeared. Putin had then said that there was no truth to the newspaper report that he was preparing to marry Kabaeva, who was born in 1983, the same year he married Lyudmila.

Alina Kabaeva started rhythmic gymnastics when she was four

Alina Kabaeva's chosen discipline was rhythmic gymnastics, where competitors perform routines with the aid of equipment like ribbons and balls.

She started rhythmic gymnastics at the age of four and at her peak, she was said to be the best in the world. 

Kabaeva also had a move named after her and was a leading performer in the team that dominated the sport. 

At her peak, Alina Kabaeva was known as 'Russia's most flexible woman'

Alina Kabaeva made her international debut in 1996 and was a surprise winner at the 1998 European Championships. Known as 'Russia's most flexible woman', she also won the gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

By the time of her retirement, Kabaeva had bagged 18 World Championship medals and 25 European Championship medals.

She then moved into politics and held a seat in Russia's lower house of Parliament from 2007-2014 with the ruling United Russia party.

Alina Kabaeva is said to be mother of Putin's kids

39-year-old Alina Kabaeva is widely believed to be the mother to four of Vladimir Putin's children, whom he has never officially recognized.

It, however, is not known when she first met Putin, but there's a photo of the pair as far back as in 2001 when Putin awarded her an Order of Friendship - a top state honour.

Last year, she was also sanctioned by the US, the UK, and the EU for her alleged close personal links to Putin.

Putin, notably, has always been intensely private and has brushed off any questions about his private life.

Vladimir Putin ended 30-year marriage in 2013

In 2013, Vladimir Putin and his wife, Lyudmila, told Russians that their 30-year marriage was over.

"Our marriage is over due to the fact that we barely see each other," she said in a rare appearance together with Putin on state television.

Putin also said it had been 'a joint decision'.

Lyudmila is a former airline stewardess and is five years younger than the Russian president.

Vladimir Putin and ex-wife Lyudmila have two daughters

Vladimir Putin and his ex-wife Lyudmila have two daughters, Katerina and Maria, who are both in their mid-30s.

While Katerina Vladimirovna Tikhonova is a tech executive, whose work supports the Russian government and its defense industry, Maria Vladimirovna Vorontsova leads government-funded programs that have received billions of dollars from the Kremlin toward genetics research.