International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach met Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai at the Beijing Winter Olympics, IOC spokesman Mark Adams told reporters.
He clarified that the conversation took place on February 5, it was also attended by a representative of the commission of athletes.
“The tennis player said that she would continue to take part in competitions, later they attended curling competitions. Peng Shuai expressed her regret at not being able to compete in the Tokyo Olympics. She is also going to travel after the end of the pandemic, Thomas Bach invited her to visit Lausanne and the Olympic Museum. She accepted the invitation,” Adams said.
According to him, the parties agreed to continue to maintain contacts.
“This is quiet diplomacy, we keep in touch with it. We are doing everything so that she is in good shape and enjoys the Olympic Games,” he added.
The athlete, in turn, again refused to confirm the allegations of harassment against a Chinese official, the newspaper L’Equipe reported.
“I didn’t talk about coercion to an intimate relationship. First of all, I would like to say that feelings, sports and politics are three completely different things. My sentimental problems, my personal life should not be related to sports and politics. And sport should not be politicized, because in most cases this is tantamount to abandoning the Olympic spirit and contrary to the will of the sports world and athletes,” she said.
In early November 2021, Peng Shuai, on her Weibo account, was reported to have accused the former member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, former Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, Zhang Gaoli, 75, of forcing her to have sex. This post was quickly deleted, the athlete’s accounts disappeared from the Chinese Internet and social networks, the athlete stopped communicating.
On November 21, the IOC reported that the president of the organization spoke with Peng Shuai via video link – she said that “everything is fine with her.”
Peng Shuai, 36, is a former world No. 1 in doubles. The athlete won 23 titles in tournaments under the auspices of the Women’s Tennis Association, including two Grand Slam tournaments. In singles, the Chinese woman has two victories in WTA tournaments.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
