Athletes’ federations have sharply criticized the International Olympic Committee in the Peng Shuai case. “The IOC has made itself an accomplice – in several respects,” wrote Maximilian Klein, the representative for international sports policy at the Initiative Athletes Germany, on Twitter on Tuesday and asked how the IOC would credibly stand up for topics such as Safe Sport and others in the future wants that affect the rights of athletes. “Trust is difficult to increase when there is none left,” emphasized Klein.
The athletes’ alliance Global Athlete wrote on social networks that the athletes had been instructed “to be silent about China because you don’t know what could happen to you”.
The Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai met IOC President Thomas Bach at the Winter Games in Beijing and in an interview with “L’Équipe” again denied a sexual assault by a top Chinese politician. The case has moved the world since the former world number one in doubles published allegations of sexual assault by a top Chinese politician on the social network Weibo in November.
The post was deleted soon after. Since then, athletes, politicians and human rights activists have expressed concern for Peng Shuai’s well-being. She later denied making the allegations. However, their statements seemed posed. She now told L’Équipe: “I never said that anyone sexually harassed me in any way.” Again she spoke of a “huge misunderstanding”.
In Beijing she did curling on Saturday and figure skating on Monday. “Peng Shuai visits sports venues. She seems calm, smiling. The IOC says she is fine. It should give you a stomach ache,” Global Athlete wrote on Tuesday. “That’s how you hide something. You do it in front of the whole world.”
IOC spokesman Mark Adams said in response to a question at a press conference on Monday: “We as a sports organization are doing everything we can to make sure she’s happy and content. It is not our job and it is not your job to judge how their position is to be assessed.”