Winter Olympics: IOC says it talked to China’s Peng Shuai last week, will meet her in Beijing during Games
- International Olympic Committee spokesman says Peng is looking forward to meeting its president Thomas Bach
- There has been widespread concern over Peng’s well-being since her social media post in November
The International Olympic Committee talked with Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai last week and will meet her in Beijing during next month’s Winter Olympics, it said on Wednesday.
Peng’s situation became a matter of concern in November when the former women’s number one doubles player alleged that a former Chinese vice-premier, Zhang Gaoli, had sexually assaulted her in the past. After that social media post, she was absent from public view for nearly three weeks.
Last month Peng said she had never accused anyone of sexually assaulting her, and the post she made had been misunderstood. Zhang has not commented on the matter.
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“Since the first call that the IOC held with Peng Shuai on 21 November 2021, the IOC team has kept in touch with her and had a number of conversations with her – the last one just the past week,” an IOC spokesman said.
“She mentioned again that she is looking forward to a meeting with IOC President Thomas Bach and Emma Terho, the chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, to which we had invited her in the first conversation.”
The IOC has had several phone calls with the player but international concerns over her safety and well-being have not been allayed.
The Women’s Tennis Association has suspended tournaments in China because of its concerns over Peng’s safety.
China has not directly commented on Peng’s initial post, but said after the WTA’s move that it “opposes the politicisation of sports”.