Vladimir Putin. Rumours of an affair between her and the Russian president began circulating in 2008 after she was dubbed “Russia’s most eligible woman”.Russian newspaper Moskovsky Korrespondent ran a story claiming Putin had divorced his wife, Lyudmila Putina, and was going to marry Kabaeva.However, the Kremlin soon denied this and the newspaper was completely shutdown soon after.
Later in 2013, Putin announced his divorce from Putina and the rumours started to circulate again.Around this time, the gymnast confirmed she had found a partner and said: “Sometimes you feel so joyful that you feel afraid.”She has faced her fair share of controversy, especially when it comes to her gymnast career.Kabaeva was born in Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, in the Soviet Union on 12 May 1983.She is the daughter of Lyubov Kabaeva and Marat Kabayev, a former professional footballer.Kabaeva started rhythmic gymnastics at the young age of four.
In her early teens, her mother took her to Russian head coach Irina Viner and she began professionally competing in 1996.Viner said: "I could not believe my eyes, when I first saw her.
The girl has the rare combination of two qualities crucial in rhythmic gymnastics - flexibility and agility."She made her international debut in 1996, and In 1998, at just 15 years old, and the youngest member of the Russian squad, Kabaeva won the European Championships in Portugal.The following year, she won her first World Title as European Champion in Osaka, Japan, she later went on to win five more.Kabaeva's is decorated as one of Russia's finest gymnasts and she has the medals to prove it.She took home two Olympic medals, bronze and gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2008 Beijing Olympics, respectively.
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