The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has engaged in a new balancing act against the host country of the next Winter Olympics in February. In a statement released on Thursday, December 2, the body announced that it had met again on Wednesday with Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai, and is trying to respond to accusations of appeasement with China to muzzle Peng Shuai’s speech, thus l emergence of a Chinese #metoo.
The 35-year-old’s fate became international concern after she posted a post on social media in early November accusing former Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault. .
“We share the same concern as many other people and organizations about the well-being and safety of Peng Shuai.”, corn “We have opted for a very human and person-centered approach”, pleads in the Olympic body, which did not make public recording or image of this interview.
Regular contact with the player
If the boss of the Olympics, Thomas Bach, had obtained ten days ago the first contact of a foreign interlocutor with the player, it is “An IOC team” who led this second videoconference “Half an hour”, during which the player “Appeared to be safe and doing well, given the difficult situation she is in”.
“We offered her a very broad support, we will keep in regular contact with her, and have already fixed a personal meeting in January” envisaged during the first interview with Mr. Bach, specifies the organization based in Lausanne.
As in its previous press releases on the subject, the IOC made no reference to the accusations of sexual assault made in early November by Peng Shuai against a former senior Chinese leader, and did not ask for any clarification on this. no guarantee on the full freedom of movement of the player.
Saving Beijing before the Winter Olympics
This discretion, widely perceived as a desire to spare the host of the next Beijing Winter Games (from February 4 to 20, 2022), contrasts with the virulent positions taken by many tennis stars and the decision announced on Wednesday by the WTA. , which manages the women’s tennis circuit, to suspend its tournaments in China.
The IOC denies being in direct contact with the Chinese authorities: “As this is a three-time Games participant, the IOC is addressing these concerns directly with Chinese sports organizations. “ “We use quiet diplomacy which, given the circumstances and the experience of governments and other organizations, is seen as the most promising way to act effectively in this type of humanitarian affairs.”, pleaded the organization.
