Has Vladimir Putin put an Olympic-sized ring on it?
As the Russian president enjoys the Winter Olympics in Sochi, rumors are swirling that he is married to sexy gymnast Alina Kabayeva, who flashed what appeared to be a wedding ring at an event this past week.
The 30-year-old Kabayeva, who was attending a children’s sporting event in another Russian city, proudly flaunted the ring to TV cameras, according to Britain’s Daily Mail.
Putin, rumored to be dating the svelte gymnast, was seen wearing a wedding ring himself just last week while attending a meeting with the Egyptian defense minister at the Kremlin.
Putin and his wife of almost 30 years, Lyudmila, announced last June that they were divorcing.
One of Putin’s political rivals, activist Alexei Navalny, sparked initial rumors of the alleged nuptials when he tweeted last September:
“I’m told that Putin and Kabayeva are marrying today at the Iver Monastery. All of Valdai [a Russian vacation retreat] sealed off.”
A spokesman for the Russian president denied it, saying there was no time for fun and games.
“Take a look at Putin’s work schedule,” Dmitry Peskov told a Moscow radio station. “You will see that his life, perhaps unfortunately, is in no way tied to any family relationships, only to those responsibilities that he has as the head of state.”
Meanwhile, Putin showed off his stoic expression Saturday in the stands as the US Olympic hockey squad defeated the Russians.