Rumoured girlfriend of Vladimir Putin breaks silence
Alina Kabayeva, the gymnast who is rumoured to have had an affair with Vladimir Putin, has broken her silence to say she will not talk about her private life, in her first interview since the Russian president divorced his wife.
Alina Kabayeva with Vladimir Putin at an award ceremony in the Kremlin in 2001. Photo: SERGEI CHIRIKOV/AP
By Tom Parfitt, Moscow
7:24PM BST 28 Jun 2013
No relationship has ever been proven and Mr Putin, 60, has strongly denied it, but the Russian leader’s announcement earlier this month that he was separating from his wife of 30 years, Lyudmila, sparked intense speculation in Russia about Miss Kabayeva’s role.
The New York Post claimed earlier this year that Mr Putin and the sportswoman had two children together. But Miss Kabayeva, a 30-year-old former Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics, told Bolshoi Sport magazine that “experience has taught me not to let anyone into my private life”. “All I can say is that I have no children,” she said. “That’s true.”
Miss Kabayeva, who is an MP in the United Russia party which supports Mr Putin, added: “Whoever wants to talk about my work, about professional aspects – go ahead, but not about personal things.”
Asked about the rumours of an affair in 2008, Mr Putin said he disliked the “erotic fantasies” of journalists who poked their “snotty noses” into other people’s lives.
