Alina Maratovna Kabaeva is a retired rhythmic gymnast and politician from Russia.
Born in the year Kabaeva was born on May 12, 1983, in Uzbekistan, which was then part of the Soviet Union. She was raised in a sporty household. Marat Kabayev, her father, was a professional football player. Kabaeva began her athletic career at the age of three, following in her father’s footsteps and becoming a rising star in rhythmic gymnastics.
She went on to win gold in Athens in 2004 and bronze in Sydney in 2000.
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 creation of a Russian gay propaganda law, “Minors a Punishable Offense Among Propaganda’s Non-Conventional Sexual Relations.”
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.