And we will do that,” Samaranch said at the news conference. “We have to respect her desire for discretion also in this very difficult moment of her life.

The senior IOC member overseeing Beijing's Olympic preparations, Juan Antonio Samaranch, did take questions and said there was a “need to be discreet.” “And I can assure you that all aspects of this case are being discussed with the Chinese side,” Bach said, noting “talks with Chinese sports organizations and official bodies.” On social media, the hashtag WhereIsPengShuai has trended and won support from tennis greats such as Serena Williams, Martina Navratilova and Roger Federer.Īsked Tuesday why Peng has not spoken with tennis players or WTA leaders, Adams said: “That I obviously cannot answer because I really don't know.”īach did not take part in the online news conference, but German news agency dpa published an interview with the Olympic leader on Tuesday. The WTA's stance on China was taken after talking with current and former players, and was publicly supported last week by Olympic tennis champion Belinda Bencic. “It's a full road map to at least attempt to keep in touch and to see where she is.” “We can't give assurances and we don't know the full facts,” Adams said, pointing to a promise on both sides that Peng and Bach will meet for dinner in Beijing in January. 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 call lasted 30 minutes and also involved IOC members from China and an athlete representative. The Olympic body has repeatedly cited its policy of “quiet diplomacy” as the most likely to succeed with China, whose leader has met and spoken directly with IOC president Thomas Bach since Beijing was picked as host in 2015.īach took part in the first video call with Peng, a three-time Olympian, on Nov. “All we can do is do the best we can in the process that we believe is in the best interests of the well-being of the athlete.” “We can't provide you with absolute certainty on anything,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said on Tuesday. From the Magazine Brave New World Under The Shadow Of The Pandemic The Four Horsemen Of Apocalypse Umar Khalid’s Prison Diary: Bigotry Against Muslims Leaves Me Even Lonelier Covid Nightmare: Time Of The Living Dead Meowdi: A Short Story by Perumal Murugan

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