VLADIMIR Putin is has been romantically linked to a gymnast Alina Kabaeva for well over a decade.
Kabaeva, 38, an Olympic gold medalist, is the rumoured longtime girlfriend of the Russian president and is reportedly the mother of Putin's twins – here's all we know about her.
Who is Vladimir Putin's rumoured girlfriend Alina Kabaeva?
Alina Maratovna Kabaeva is a Russian politician, media manager and a retired rhythmic gymnast.
Born in born May 12, 1983 in Uzbekistan, then part of the Soviet Union, Kabaeva grew up in a sporting family.
Her father Marat Kabayev was a professional football player.
At the age of three, Kabaeva followed in her father's footsteps to begin her own sports career, become a rising star in rhythmic gymnastics in her teens.
She went on to win Gold at the 2004 Athens Games and Bronze at the 2000 in Sydney.
Kabaeva is among the most successful gymnasts, with 2 Olympic medals, 14 World Championship medals, and 21 European Championship medals.
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Upon retiring from gymnastics, Kabaeva began her career in politics.
She was a Member of the Russian Parliament between 2007 and 2014, representing the United Russia party.
During her time in parliament, she voted for a number of controversial laws, including the Russian gay propaganda law making the distribution of "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships" among minors a punishable offence.
In September 2014, Kabaeva accepted a position as a chair of the National Media Group, the largest Russian media conglomerate.
How long have Vladimir Putin and Alina Kabaeva been dating?
Kabeava was first linked to Putin, 69, in 2008 when it was reported by a Moscow newspaper run by media tycoon and former KGB spy Alexander Lebedev.
The Russian president divorced his wife Lyudmila in 2013.
Kabaeva – dubbed “Russia’s First Mistress” – has gone on the record to deny she is the Russian president’s partner, but it has not stopped rumours that the pair are engaged, married and even have a secret family together.
In 2016, Kabaeva appeared in public wearing a ring on her ring finger, which she seemed to attempt to hide from the cameras.
She was wearing the ring again during a rare TV interview, where she failed to shed any new light on her alleged relationship with the Kremlin strongman, whose name wasn't mentioned.
In February 2017, Kabaeva made another public appearance apparently showing off her wedding ring at a gymnastics tournament in Moscow.
Months later, Kabaeva teased Russians yet again by showing off what appeared to be a wedding ring on an outing in Italy.
How many children do they have?
The ex-gymnast is alleged to have a secret family with Putin.
In 2017, rumours started that Kabaeva was pregnant when she attended a girls’ gymnastics competition in Moscow wearing a loose-fitting red dress – which appeared to be hiding a bump.
A Russian newspaper then reported that the pair were engaged – but the story was denied and the paper was shut down by Kremlin authorities.
Stories that the couple had multiple children persisted after they were pictured together, forcing Kabaeva to finally deny having ever given birth.
But the Russian president has always been secretive about his personal life and family.
A Moscow source told The Sun: “Putin is an intensely private man – he has been hiding his two adult daughters under fake IDs for years. Even now, though he talks about them occasionally, he never names them.
“If Alina gave birth to his children, her hiding away might be one of the strongest hints pointing to this. He is obsessive about the security of his family.”
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