Putin Denies Affair With Beautiful Gymnast

April 18, 2008 — -- Russian President Vladimir Putin quashed a rapidly circulating rumor today, denying a newspaper report that he had secretly divorced his wife and planned to marry a famous Russian gymnast less than half his age.

On Wednesday, the Russian tabloid Moskovskiy Korrespondent reported that the 56-year-old was planning a June wedding to Alina Kabayeva, 24, a parliamentarian and former Olympic gymnast.

Picked up by blogs and tabloids worldwide, the rumor seemed for the first time to put a Russian politician in the spotlight of scandal that has ensnared other notable leaders such as French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who early this year divorced his wife and married a model.

But just when it seemed Moscow's gossip would become the world's gossip, everyone denied everything.

"There is not a word of truth in what you've said," Putin told reporters inquiring about the rumor during a news conference in Italy today.

Putin's denial was preceded by a retraction from the paper that had first printed the whispered gossip.

"The article contained merely some rumors and also some facts, which so it seemed to us, confirmed the rumors. That is, there is no factual base to the article. This we admit," wrote the editors of Moskovskiy Korrespondent.

The morsel sheds light not just on how gossip spreads in Russia, but also on the way Russians perceive their president and what it takes to make a scandal in the world's largest country.

Putin, a former KGB agent and judo champion, has carefully managed his image, keeping much of his personal life private and portraying himself as a strong, masculine leader.

If anything, Russian culture and politics experts told ABC News, the rumor only adds to his reputation as a macho, tough guy.

"This is definitely not going hurt his image at all," said Mark Leiderman, a Russian professor at the University of Colorado. "He presents himself as super macho."

"The Russia of today is modern and business oriented. Putin sees himself as the country's 'top manager.' There is a perception that promiscuity is the norm for wealthy, powerful males."