The young beauty was named Princess of the 1957 Carnaval in Hermosillo, and parlayed that into work as a model.
Time to concentrate on politics and support for her President.
But how did Mr Putin actually get to know Miss Kabaeva? Actress This beautiful, stylish, London-born blonde started out quite promisingly on the stage and in late '60s films before phasing out her career out in the '90s.
She studied middle school and high school at the International School of Prague.
She went home with only a bronze and all of Russia wept with her.
The Chicago-born entertainer and one-time secretary was raised in Racine.