Putin Denies He Plans to Marry Young Gymnast

´In what you said, there is not one word of truth,´ Putin said when asked about the reports by a journalist at a news briefing.


President Vladimir Putin on last two day denied he planned to divorce his 50-year-old wife Lyudmila to marry an Olympic champion gymnast, telling journalists to keep their "snotty noses" out of his private life.
A Russian newspaper had reported that Putin had secretly divorced Lyudmila in February and would marry Alina Kabayeva, a 24-year-old Russian Olympic gold medallist in rhythmic gymnastics, in the summer.
Quoting society sources in Putin's home city of St. Petersburg, the Moskovsky Korrespondent newspaper said last week that tenders had already been gone out for the wedding between the outgoing Russian president and Kabayeva.
"In what you said, there is not one word of truth," Putin said when asked about the reports at a news briefing with Italy's Prime Minister-elect Silvio Berlusconi.
"I have always reacted negatively to those who with their snotty noses and erotic fantasies prowl into others' lives," Putin said.
Putin, 55, has cultivated a tough-guy image during his eight years in the Kremlin, posing for photos aboard fighter jets, firing weapons, competing in judo as a black-belt and fishing bare-chested in the Siberian wilderness.
The former KGB spy has kept his private life out of the media and reports about his family are very rare in the Russian press, which carefully follows Kremlin guidance.
Until the news briefing in Italy, most of the Russian media had not touched the story in the Moskovsky Korrespondent, which is owned by pro-government deputy Alexander Lebedev.
Putin said media had mentioned a host of women including Kabayeva and Russian television journalist Yekaterina Andreyeva in articles about his private life.
"In other such publications other successful, beautiful young women and girls have been mentioned. I don't think it will be a surprise if I say that I like them all -- because they are all Russian women," Putin said with a smile.
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Moskovsky Korrespondent said last Saturday that plans were being laid in St Petersburg for a lavish summer wedding between Putin and Kabayeva.
Lebedev several days later gave a radio interview saying journalists on the paper should back the story up or retract it. This was unusual in Russia, where media proprietors normally vet sensitive stories well in advance of publication.
The newspaper on Friday said that editorial staff did not intend to apologise "despite pressure from people linked to the owner of the paper".
Igor Dudinsky, deputy editor-in-chief, told Reuters: "We stand by our story -- we had information and we reported it."
Putin married Lyudmila, a former Aeroflot air hostess, in 1983 and they have two daughters who are both in their twenties.
A fan of theatre, music and winter sports, Lyudmila has at times looked uncomfortable with her official role. Putin is not often seen in public with her and has not taken her on most of his recent foreign trips.
Kabayeva, whose website www.alinakabaeva.narod.ru proclaims her "the most magnificent gymnast in the world", was born in Uzbekistan. She won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics for rhythmic gymnastics.
A spokeswoman for Kabayeva said of reports of her relations with Putin: "It is rubbish, all complete rubbish. Alina is not going to comment on the rubbish published by the tabloid press."
Recruited into Putin's United Russia in a drive to add glamour to the ruling party, Kabayeva was elected a deputy in the State Duma, parliament's lower house, last December, although she is not often seen there.
According to her website, Kabayeva lists collecting cuddly toys among her