‘Putin’s Olympian mistress’ brings cake to own surprise birthday party

Two time gold medal winner and rumoured lover of Vladimir Putin was photographed bringing her own cake to a surprise party just days after being accused of having too much influence over the Olympic selection process

The former Russian Olympian turned politician and rumoured Putin lover Alina Kabaeva was seen celebrating her birthday just days after being mired by controversy over her personal influence on the selection process of the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team.

Kabaeva made the interesting decision of bringing her own cake to Russia’s Nebesnaya Gratsiya Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy, complete with fresh raspberries much to the delight of the young athletes training there, according to Russian media outlet Pulsfid.

One gymnast reportedly told the media site: “We thought she’d forget about us, but the cake was huge!”, while a video posted on the gymnastic academy’s official website described Kabaeva as “the symbol of an entire era”.

The birthday stunt comes amid a rumbling controversy regarding Kabaeva’s time as Russia’s rhythmic gymnastic chief.

Independent Russian outlet Agency reported that coaches, parents and figures inside the gymnastics world were left furious by Kabaeva’s selection process, with some claiming the chosen team “does not reflect the gymnasts’ actual skill level or competition results”.

Others suggested nobody inside Russia would dare challenge her because of her perceived proximity to Putin and the Kremlin elite.

The scandal comes as Russian athletes attempt to return to international competition after widespread bans following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

In a statement, the rhythmic gymnastics executive committee (EC), said: “The EC has decided to lift all restrictions applicable to Russian and Belarusian athletes since February 2022, with immediate effect”.

Kabaev has long been a close ally and supporter of Vladimir Putin, with rumours long swirling that the pair are more than friends, with some reports suggesting that they may even have had children together.

Alina is one of Russia’s most decorated gymnasts and one of only three in history to win all the major titles: the Olympics, World Championships, European Championships, the World Cup Final and the Grand Prix Final.

Since retiring from the sport, she earned two degrees, spent seven years as a member of the State Duma and also worked as a TV presenter.

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