The Sochi Olympics have, so far, been pretty much exclusively bonkers. Firstly, there was that terrifying teddy bear Olympic mascot that winked and leered its way through the opening ceremony which – I’m not even exaggerating – gave me some of the worst nightmares I’ve had since I was about four years old. Then, in our own commentary for ceremony, TV presenter Hazel Irvine declared that Fuahea Semi from Tonga had changed his name to ‘Bruno Banani’ as part of a marketing ploy for a German underwear company and planned to ‘wear what they’re calling coconut-powered underpants!’ Right. Sure. Gotcha. But the most bonkers (and insanely inappropriate) moment so far came towards the end of the opening ceremony, when Vladimir Putin's alleged mistress Alina Kabayeva was tasked with carrying the Olympic flame through the final leg of the torch relay. Really sensitive stuff guys.
Rumour has it that 30 year old Kabayeva, a former Olympic gymnast, and Putin have been at it for years. The Kremlin denies the relationship, but many people in the Russian media believe Kabayeva and Putin to have a secret family. To add insult to injury, she’s also alleged to be one of the reasons behind Putin’s divorce from ex-wife 55 year old ex wife Lyudmila who is now rumoured to live in solitude in a monastery. Seriously, could any of this sound any more like a tragic Russian novel?
Kabayeva's involvement in the final leg of the torch relay has sparked controversy because of her relatively lacklustre athletic career. Other sports personalities in the procession were sports legends Maria Sharapova, Alexander Karelin, Yelena Isinbayeva, and Vladislav Tretiak, who’ve all individually been considered world champions in their fields. Kabayeva? Not so much. Still, she is an active Member of Parliament now in Putin’s political party – so that will explain it then.
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Picture: Getty
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.