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Keeping Up With The Sarkozys
Moscow is abuzz with rumours that President Vladimir Putin is planning to marry an Olympic rhythmic gymnast and MP half his age.
Putin, 56, is linked with 24 year old Alina Kabaeva, who is famed for her "extreme natural flexibility."
Ms Kabeva won several European and World titles in the course of her career. She was sanctioned for doping in 2001, but returned to the sport winning a gold medal in the Athens Olympics in 2004. She has been a member of Russia's parliament since last year representing (unsurprisingly) a pro-Kremlin party, United Russia.
The Telegraph reports that her relationship with Putin has been the subject of fevered gossip in Russia for months, though only this week did tabloid newspaper Moskovski Korrespondent dare to break the story.
It claims the pair are to marry on June 15, adding that the President has already left his wife Ludmilla. The newspapers source seems to be a party planner, who has been bidding to organise their wedding reception.
Has Nicolas Sarkozy started a new craze for the world's alpha males to seek out premier league women? And will Angela Merkel have to start dating toy boys to keep up?
