Russia- Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, 55, divorced his wife Ludmila two months ago. It is believed that he did so because of a 30 year younger former Olympic and world champion in rhythmic gymnastics, Alina Kabayeva, Russian media reported.

Putin got engaged to the former gymnast and are planning a June wedding, which neither of them is keeping a secret any longer. They were seen holding hands and kissing in a restaurant in Moscow.

The Russian president thus continued the trend set by his colleagues and divorced for a much younger and very attractive woman. When they have a country under their feet, it only fits that they have a pleasant looking woman under their arm.

It is a general opinion that Putin and Kabayeva met after his decision to bring into his party beautiful young women to rekindle the public’s interest in politics. Alina was one of those young and beautiful women who evidently caught the president’s eye.

Everybody is wondering just how long their relationship will last, since they are both seen as controversial. While details from Putin’s life are quite known to the public, Alina has kept her life private ever since she withdrew from public life in 2004.

The young gymnast achieved many successes in rhythmic gymnastics, but after her gold medal was taken away from her in 2001 for doping, she decided to make a slow withdrawal. After she won gold in 2004 she decided to leave the sport altogether.

But she did not find it too difficult to get by with finances or in the media, looking beautiful, so she regularly posed for various magazines and even appeared completely nude in Playboy, so it is no wonder one Russian newspapers had the title “Putin, You Lucky Guy!”.