International Olympic Committee head Thomas Bach on contact with Peng Shuai

By Associated Press

BEIJING: International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach on Wednesday reiterated that the IOC will continue to remain in contact with Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai, and that he hoped to meet her in Lausanne in summer.

Peng’s accusations of sexual assault against former vice premier Zhang Gaoli, once a member of the all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee, were scrubbed almost immediately from the internet in China when they appeared three months ago.

Bach, who met Peng for dinner during the weekend, is one of the few people outside China to have spoken with Peng.

On meeting her, Bach said she appeared she is “enjoying the games” and that she is enjoying being among athletes and the public.

“This is the way how we are caring for her and how we are caring about her and how we will continue to care about her,” Bach said.

French sports newspaper L’Equipe also published an interview – the first times she spoke with a foreign news organization – aimed at allaying sustained international concerns about the three-time Olympian and former No.1-ranked tennis doubles player.

Fears for Peng’s safety have threatened to overshadow the Winter Olympics underway in Beijing but Bach said he looked forward to meeting her again in Lausanne where the headquarters for the IOC is located.