Feeling left out that French President Sarkozy has married a hot model, Putin divorces his wife and marries a hot gymnast.

A recent issue of Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper said that Russia’s outgoing President Vladimir Putin was going to marry a girl who is 30 years younger. Furthermore, the newspaper wrote that Putin secretly divorced his wife, Lyudmila Putin, in February of the current year. With reference to rumours, La Repubblica wrote that Putin was going to remarry on June 15, Whit Sunday.

His new wife will be Alina Kabaeva, the rhythmic gymnast, who won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics and obtained numerous European awards, the newspaper said. According to the newspaper, “Russians consider Kabaeva to be sexier than Sharapova and Kournikova.” After the Olympic Games in Athens Kabaeva gave up sport and decided to try her hand at cinema.

That is Alina Kabaeva on the left and the lovely Carla Bruni on the right.

I find them both to be absolutely gorgeous women, women who are clearly attracted to men with power. I don't really have much power. I do have a car and a house. So I usually attract women who are attracted to driving and shelter.

Sarkozy has had a great bump in his popularity since marrying Bruni. I wonder if Putin is looking for a similar rise in his poll numbers.

All I can say in that it is very entertaining watching powerful men going through their mid life crisis in the public arena.