Chinese Tennis Player Peng in Good Condition, Safe - IOC

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Thursday that it had held a video call with Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai and she confirmed that she is safe and in good condition.

"The IOC’s efforts led to a half-hour videoconference with Peng Shuai on 21 November, during which she explained her situation and appeared to be safe and well, given the difficult situation she is in. This was reconfirmed in yesterday’s call. Our human and person-centred approach means that we continue to be concerned about her personal situation and will continue to support her," the IOC said in a statement.

The tennis star disappeared from public after publishing on 2 November a statement on Weibo, China's Twitter-like social media platform, accusing the former Chinese vice-premier, 75-year-old Zhang Gaoli, of sexually assaulting her. The post was immediately deleted, Peng's accounts were removed from Chinese social networks and the athlete stopped communicating, raising concerns for her safety.

On 21 November, the tennis star finally appeared in public for the first time in several weeks at the opening ceremony of a teenage tennis match final in Beijing. The next day, Peng confirmed she was safe and well in a video call with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach.