It's a Vlad, Vlad, Vlad, Vlad World
Russian president Vladimir Putin turned 60 on Sunday, and while the birthday boy reportedly spent the day quietly celebrating with close friends and family in St. Petersburg, there was plenty of hoopla across the country. In the southern republic of North Ossetia--Alania, a team of mountaineers climbed a 13,125-foot ridge and installed a portrait of the prez at the peak, while in Moscow a pro-government youth movement staged a sports festival to thank Putin for his efforts to boost athletics and fitness through his own exuberant example. Indeed, as this roundup of sportin' Putin shots shows, the president remains Russia's Athlete in Chief.
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ALEXEY DRUZHININ/AFP/GETTY IMAGES (JUDO)
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ALEXEY DRUZHININ/AFP/GETTY IMAGES (RAFT)
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ALEXSEY DRUGINYN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES (HORSEBACK RIDING)
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ALEXEI DRUZHININ/PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE/RIA-NOVOSTI/AP (GLIDER)
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ALEKSEY NIKOLSKYI/AFP/GETTY IMAGES (HOCKEY)