Winter Games 2022
The Strange Performances of Peng-Shuai at the Olympia
Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai as an Olympic tourist
© Kyodo / DPA
It looks like a spectacle: tennis player Peng Shuai, who has been in hiding for a long time, photographs the competitions in curling, figure skating and freestyle as an Olympic tourist. Nevertheless, the worries about their fate do not diminish.
The Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai will leave the closed Olympic bubble again after her visit to the Winter Games in Beijing. That said IOC President Thomas Bach on Tuesday. During a joint visit to freestyle skiing, Peng told him that she would go into quarantine again later that day and plan to leave the Olympic circuit, which was strictly shielded due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The head of the International Olympic Committee could not say whether she was planning a return visit. Over the past few days, Peng had met Bach for dinner, given a supervised interview to the French sports newspaper L’Équipe, and attended curling, figure skating and freestyle skiing competitions.
Peng’s 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 told L’Équipe: “I never said that anyone sexually harassed me in any way.” Again she spoke of a “huge misunderstanding”.
But the recent interview also seemed staged. The French newspaper itself pointed out the conditions that had to be met by the Chinese National Olympic Committee (COC): Peng would speak in Chinese, the questions had to be submitted in advance, and the interview was to be published without further comment. A representative of the COC was also present during the conversation, who translated the questions and answers.
Athletes criticize International Olympic Committee
Meanwhile, athletes’ associations 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 want 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”. And further: “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 cover something up. 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 do everything we can to make sure she’s happy and content. It’s not our job and it’s not your job to judge how their position is to be assessed.”
WTA calls for independent investigation into Peng Shuai case
The women’s tennis organization WTA is still concerned about the tennis player and is calling for an investigation into the case again. “It’s always good to see Peng Shuai, whether it’s in an interview or attending the Olympics. However, her recent interview doesn’t alleviate our concerns about her original post on November 2,” said WTA Chief Executive Steve Simon. Peng Shuai took a brave step with her allegations. “We have requested a formal investigation into their allegations by the appropriate authorities and an opportunity for the WTA to meet me Peng in confidence to discuss their situation.” The German women’s national coach Barba Rittner replied via Twitter: “Proud of our WTA.”