Long-time International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Dick Pound has said that he is “puzzled” by the reaction to a video call between three-time Olympian Peng Shuai and IOC president Thomas Bach.
The video call comes after Peng, one of China’s most recognizable sports stars, publicly accused former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of coercing her into sex at his home, according to screenshots of a since-deleted social media post dated November 2.
Following the accusation, Peng disappeared from public view, prompting several fellow tennis players to express worry on social media, using the hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai.
The IOC has not made the video publicly available and did not explain how the call was organized. It instead released an image of the call and a statement saying Peng is “safe and well, living at her home in Beijing, but would like to have her privacy respected at this time.”