Alina Kabaeva

2.1. Birth and Family Background

Alina Maratovna Kabaeva was born on May 12, 1983, in Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, which is now Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Her parents were both professional athletes: her father, Marat Kabaev, was a soccer player of Tatar ethnicity, and her mother, Lyubov Kabaeva, was a basketball player of Russian ethnicity. Due to her father's career, the family frequently moved between various locations in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Russia. Kabaeva has a younger sister named Leysan Kabaeva, who serves as the general director of a real estate agency and was appointed as a judge of the Almetyevsk City Court in Tatarstan by President Vladimir Putin in 2016.

2.2. Childhood and Early Training

Kabaeva began her rhythmic gymnastics training at the early age of three, under the guidance of coach Margarita Samuilovna. However, many coaches initially hesitated to train her due to her appearance, deeming her "too heavy" for a rhythmic gymnast, despite recognizing her exceptional talent. In 1993, she represented Kazakhstan at an international competition held in Japan. At the age of eleven, Kabaeva's mother decided to move her to Moscow, Russia, to train under the renowned Russian head coach, Irina Viner. Viner immediately recognized Kabaeva's potential, noting her exceptional flexibility and agility, and took her into the Olympic reserve school in Moscow, marking the true beginning of her professional sports career.

3.1. Junior and Early Senior Career

Kabaeva made her international debut representing Russia in 1996. At just 15 years old, she secured her first major title by winning the All-Around gold medal at the 1998 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships in Porto, Portugal. She was the youngest member of the Russian squad at the time, competing alongside established gymnasts like Amina Zaripova and Yana Batyrshina. Kabaeva continued her ascent, becoming the 1999 European Champion in Hungary and winning her first World Title in Osaka, Japan, in the same year. She would go on to win a total of five All-Around titles at the European Championships throughout her career.

At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Kabaeva was a strong favorite for the All-Around gold medal. However, a crucial error occurred during her hoop routine when she dropped her hoop and it rolled outside the competition area. Despite an otherwise clean performance, this mistake resulted in her winning the bronze medal with a final score of 39.466. Her compatriot, Yulia Barsukova, won the gold, while Yulia Raskina of Belarus took the silver.

3.2. Doping Scandal and Comeback

In 2001, Kabaeva and her teammate Irina Tchachina faced a significant setback when they both tested positive for furosemide, a banned diuretic, at the 2001 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Madrid, Spain. Prior to this, Kabaeva had won gold medals in the Ball, Clubs, Hoop, Rope, Individual All-Around, and Team competitions at the Madrid World Championships. She also won gold medals in Ball, Clubs, and Rope, and silver medals in Individual All-Around and Hoop at the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia. As a result of the positive drug test, all their medals from both competitions were revoked, and they were disqualified for two years.

The Russian head coach, Irina Viner, who also served as the Vice President of the FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics Technical Committee, stated that her gymnasts had been using a food supplement called "Hyper," which contained mild diuretics for premenstrual syndrome. According to Viner, the supplement purchased locally after their supply ran out was counterfeit and contained furosemide. The FIG nullified their results from the World Championships, leading to Tamara Yerofeeva of Ukraine being declared the 2001 world champion. Kabaeva was prohibited from participating in competitions from August 2001 to August 2002. The second year of her disqualification was conditional, allowing her to compete in official tournaments under strict control. Her first international competition after the ban was the 2002 European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, where she made a successful comeback by winning first place in the individual all-around.

3.3. Olympic and World Championship Wins

Kabaeva's resilience and talent led her to regain her top form after the doping ban. She secured her second World Title in 2003 in Budapest, Hungary, where she won the All-Around gold medal, as well as the event finals in Ribbon and Ball, finishing ahead of Anna Bessonova from Ukraine.

In 2004, Kabaeva continued her dominance, winning the All-Around Gold at the 2004 European Championships in Kyiv, Ukraine. Her ultimate triumph came at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, where she won the gold medal in the Individual All-Around for Rhythmic Gymnastics. She achieved a score of 108.400, demonstrating exceptional performances across all apparatuses: Hoop (26.800), Ball (27.350), Clubs (27.150), and Ribbon (27.100). Her teammate, Irina Tchachina, earned the silver medal in the same event.

3.4. Concluding Athletic Career

Following her gold medal win at the 2004 Athens Olympics, Kabaeva initially announced her retirement from the sport in October 2004, after also winning the Aeon Cup in Tokyo, Japan. However, in June 2005, her coach, Irina Viner, hinted at a possible comeback. Kabaeva indeed resumed her competitive career with a friendly competition between Italy and Russia in Genoa on September 10, 2005.

In March 2006, Kabaeva won the Gazprom Moscow Grand Prix. She then secured the silver medal in the All-Around at the 2006 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships, finishing behind her teammate Vera Sessina. At the 2007 European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, Kabaeva was slated to represent Russia alongside Sessina and Olga Kapranova, but she withdrew on the eve of the competition due to an injury. Rising gymnast Evgenia Kanaeva was chosen as her replacement. Kabaeva competed at the 2007 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, where she placed fourth in the all-around qualifications. However, she did not advance to the finals due to the "two per country" rule, as Vera Sessina and Olga Kapranova placed ahead of her. She did qualify for the ribbon final, where she earned a bronze medal behind Sessina and Ukraine's Anna Bessonova. Despite repeated announcements about her potential participation, Kabaeva ultimately did not compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics, marking the definitive end of her competitive career.

3.5. Contributions to and Innovations in Rhythmic Gymnastics

Alina Kabaeva is widely recognized for having revolutionized rhythmic gymnastics through her innovative techniques and original elements. Her performances showcased an extraordinary combination of high technical skill and extreme flexibility, which significantly influenced the sport.

She was one of the few gymnasts to introduce new skills that were subsequently recognized and performed by others. Notably, she performed the back split pivot with hand help, an element that became widely known as "The Kabaeva." Other innovative techniques she introduced or popularized include the ring position with a slow full turn and the backscale pivot. Her style and execution changed the perceived boundaries of rhythmic gymnastics, with many acknowledging her as a transformative figure in the sport.

3.6. Major Achievements and Records

Alina Kabaeva's career is marked by an extensive collection of medals and records, cementing her status as one of the most decorated rhythmic gymnasts in history.

Her key achievements include:

• Winning the 1998 European Championships in the all-around at the age of 15, becoming the youngest gymnast to do so.
• Becoming one of the youngest rhythmic gymnasts to win the All-Around World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in 1999 in Osaka at 16 years old, a record she held alongside Elena Karpukhina until it was broken by Yana Kudryavtseva in 2013.
• Being the first gymnast to perform the backscale pivot.
• Holding the record for the most European All-Around titles, with victories in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2004.
• Winning all "Grand-slam" titles, a feat achieved by only two other rhythmic gymnasts (Ekaterina Serebrianskaya and Evgenia Kanaeva). These titles include the Olympic Games, World Championships, European Championships, World Cup Final, and Grand Prix Final.
• Securing six Russian National All-Around Champion titles in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006, and 2007.

Her Olympic results are detailed in the following table:

3.7. Post-Retirement Rhythmic Gymnastics Activities

After her definitive retirement from competitive rhythmic gymnastics, Kabaeva maintained a prominent role within the sport. She was chosen as one of the six Russian athlete torchbearers to carry the Olympic flame through Fisht Stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Her selection for this role generated international media attention and some controversy due to her alleged close relationship with Vladimir Putin.

In 2015, Kabaeva was invited as an honorary guest at the 2015 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships held in Stuttgart, Germany. Two years later, in 2017, she was appointed as the official FIG (International Gymnastics Federation) Rhythmic Gymnastics Ambassador for the 2017 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Pesaro, Italy, further solidifying her ongoing influence in the sport.

4.1. Public Service

Kabaeva began her foray into public service in 2005, when she became a member of the Public Chamber of Russia. Her political career further solidified in 2007 when she was elected as a Member of the Russian Parliament, serving as a State Duma deputy representing Nizhnekamsk. She held this position as a member of the ruling United Russia party until 2014. During her time in the Duma, she also served as Vice-head for youth affairs.

4.2. Media Management Activities

In February 2008, while still a State Duma deputy, Kabaeva became the chairwoman of the Public Council of the National Media Group (NMG). NMG is a significant media holding that controls major Russian outlets, including the newspaper Izvestia, Channel One, and REN TV.

In September 2014, Kabaeva resigned from her parliamentary seat to accept the position of chair of the board of directors of the National Media Group, which is considered the largest Russian media conglomerate. This appointment raised eyebrows and drew criticism regarding her qualifications for such a high-level management role, particularly given her background primarily in sports. Concerns were also voiced about her substantial salary in these positions, with reports indicating it was significantly high. As of September 2024, the Media and Journalism Research Center of the Central European University classified the National Media Group as "Captured Public or State Managed/Owned Media" under its State Media Matrix, suggesting its close alignment with state interests.

4.3. Support for Controversial Legislation

As a State Duma deputy, Alina Kabaeva's legislative record included supporting several highly controversial laws that were swiftly adopted in 2012 and 2013. These laws have faced significant criticism for their implications for human rights and civil liberties in Russia.

Among the notable legislation she supported was the Anti-Magnitsky bill, which banned the inter-country adoption of Russian orphans by families in the United States. She also voted in favor of the Russian gay propaganda law, which criminalized the distribution of "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships" among minors. Furthermore, she supported laws that enabled the extrajudicial banning of access to websites deemed to violate copyright laws and legislation regarding the reorganization of the Russian Academy of Sciences. These votes highlight her alignment with conservative and often repressive legislative measures enacted during her political tenure.

5.1. Entertainment and Public Appearances

In 2001, Kabaeva made an appearance in the Japanese film Red Shadow, where she performed a rhythmic gymnastics routine. Her appearance was later featured in the DVD release of the film in 2005. She also featured in a regional advertisement for UHA Mikakuto's "Choco View" in 1999, which was aired exclusively in the Kansai region of Japan. In January 2011, Kabaeva appeared on the cover of Vogue Russia, a significant public appearance that further cemented her celebrity status. In the same month, she briefly ventured into a singing career, making her debut stage performance. She also released a photo book in 2005 titled "Alina Kabaeva photo book Athens Olympic Rhythmic Gymnastics Gold Medalist."

6.1. Allegations of Relationship with Vladimir Putin

Persistent rumors regarding Alina Kabaeva's alleged relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin first emerged publicly in April 2008, when the Russian newspaper Moskovsky Korrespondent reported that she was engaged to him. This story was immediately denied by both Kabaeva and Putin, and the newspaper that published the report was subsequently shut down, ostensibly due to financial difficulties, although it resumed publication a week later.

Despite the denials and the closure of the newspaper, the status of Kabaeva and Putin's relationship has remained a topic of intense speculation in media outlets worldwide. These allegations have been a recurring subject, influencing public perception and contributing to her international notoriety.

6.2. Children and Family Life

Kabaeva publicly stated in July 2013 that she did not have children. However, unconfirmed reports and widespread speculation about her having children, allegedly with Vladimir Putin, have persisted.

• 2009 Son (unconfirmed):** Some reports, particularly from Japanese sources, claim she gave birth to a son in Switzerland in 2009.
• 2015 Birth (disputed gender):** In March 2015, Kabaeva was widely reported to have given birth to a child at the VIP hospital of Saint Ann in Ticino, Switzerland. Initially, some reports, including from Japanese sources, stated she gave birth to twin daughters. However, a 2022 report from the Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung, citing a Swiss gynecologist of Russian origin who allegedly assisted at the births, stated that the child born in 2015 was a boy and was Putin's son.
• 2019 Birth (disputed number/gender):** In 2019, Kabaeva reportedly gave birth again at the Kulakov maternity clinic in Moscow. Some reports, including those in English and Vietnamese media, claimed she gave birth to twin sons. The same 2022 Swiss newspaper report further clarified that this birth was also of a boy, confirming it as another son of Putin.

According to United States and European security officials, Kabaeva has spent extensive periods in Switzerland since 2015, residing in locations such as Lugano and Cologny. During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, some reports claimed she was hiding with four children in a luxury chalet in Switzerland, leading to petitions on platforms like Change.org calling for her forced return to Russia and the revocation of her Olympic medals. Conversely, some political analysts suggested she might be sheltered in a nuclear bunker in Siberia's Altai Mountains. Despite these rumors, Kabaeva made a public appearance at a rhythmic gymnastics festival named after her in Moscow on April 24, 2022. She is reportedly residing in Sochi, a city that President Putin visited on May 11, 2022, the same day Kabaeva celebrated her birthday, inspecting an elite educational center in the city.

6.3. Religion

Alina Kabaeva was reportedly a follower of Islam until 2002, reflecting her Tatar heritage through her father. However, by 2003, reports indicated that she had converted to Christianity.