Alina Kabaeva - World Class Uzbek / Russian artistic gymnast with a fascinating life story - Amazing pictures !

This beautiful young lady with very few clothes on is Alina Kabaeva. She was born on May 12, 1983 in Tashkent and her father was a professional footballer.

Although she started late as a gymnast her success only came when she went to Moscow and lived with the lady who became her coach. She went on to become a famous artistic gymnast and has won three European Championship 1998/ 1999/2000, and was world champion in 1999 and 2001 (which was taken from her) . Dissapointed fans saw her only get the bronze at the Sydney Olympics when she lost her hoop and ran out of the exhibition area. She went on to win Gold at Athens in 2004 and her friend Irina Tchacina won silver. (Lots more interesting photos here)

In 2001 at the Brisbane Goodwill games she won the gold for the Ball, Clubs and Rope, and the silver in the Individual All-Around and Hoop. Alina and her teammate Irina Tchacina both tested positive to a banned diuretic (furosemide) and were stripped of their medals.

Irina Weiner, Russian Head Coach and who also served as the Vice President of the FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics Technical Committee, said her gymnasts had been taking a food supplement called 'Hyper' which contained mild diuretics. Which according to Weiner the gymnasts were taking for pre-menstrual syndrome. When the supply ran out shortly before the Goodwill Games, the team physiotherapist restocked at a local pharmacy. According to Weiner, the supplement sold there was fake and contained furosemide. The commission requested that the Goodwill Games organizing committee nullify Kabaeva and Tchachina's results. The FIG also nullified their results from the World Championships in Madrid, nominating Tamara Yerofeeva who was declared the 2001 World Champion.

Alina is now a fillum star , and played in the Japanese kung-fu / ninja film Red Shadow. "It's hardly an action role, but a surprise treat is the presence of Russian rhythmic gymnastics champion Alina Kabayeva as a Russian ninja. She was originally meant to double Kumiko Aso, but due to scheduling conflicts ended up in her own small role instead. She performs some ridiculously insane feats of dexterity and physical grace, but it's clear Nakano was simply tacking her onto the movie with little regard for the story. She's there one minute to pose as an entertainer for a samurai warlord, shows up again to sneak around his castle and then disappears."

Here is a YouTube of her doing some remarkable things with a ball at the Gazprom European Grand prix Championships in Moscow 2006 when she staged a comeback and to the surprise of many won first prize. (Search on her name for many more such fillums)


Her lady who housed her in Moscow and trained her is Dr Irina Wiener AKA Mrs Alisher Usmanov and she is also very friendly with Mr Putin who is President .

What a VERY lucky (and extremely athletic) young lady.