Bach

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said Thursday he will meet with Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai during the Beijing Olympics, but opted not to go into deep detail when questioned by a reporters at a press conference.

Bach, when pressed on Peng Shuai, gives a meandering answer. Said they focused first on the question "Where is Peng Shuai?" Then: "If she wants to have an inquiry of course we will also support her in this, but it must be her decision, it is her life, it is her allegations."

— Amy Qin (@amyyqin) February 3, 2022

The IOC’s two video calls with the Grand Slam doubles champion late last year are the only reported contacts Peng has had with people outside China since Nov. 2 when she sent a social media post alleging she was sexually assaulted by a former top Communist Party official.

Bach said Peng will enter the ‘closed loop’ at the Games — which separates all Olympic participants from the general public in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19.

The IOC was criticized after both video calls for providing no video footage or transcripts of the conversations, fueling doubts that Peng was able to speak or travel freely.

The Women’s Tennis Association has pulled events out of China because of the Peng situation, while the IOC has gone ahead with the Beijing Olympics.