Top Olympic official says claims the IOC is appeasing China over Peng Shuai are ‘silly,’ and seems to brag that it is the only group that’s been able to contact her

• A senior Olympic official seemed to brag that the IOC is the only group that has been in touch with Peng Shuai.
• Peng disappeared in early November before reemerging via Chinese state media and a call with the IOC.
• Concerns remain over her safety, with some claiming the IOC is appeasing China by saying she's fine.

A senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) figure seemed to brag that no one else had managed to make contact with Peng Shuai, the Chinese tennis player who went missing in November.

Peng Shuai disappeared at the start of November after making sexual assault allegations against a former high ranking Chinese official. 

She resurfaced a few weeks later, appearing in photos released by state media. Shuai was also shown in a video call with IOC president Thomas Bach. After that call, the IOC said that Peng seemed well and safe.

Despite the call, concerns for her safety remain. A number of human rights organizations and commentators have argued that the IOC only vouched for the safety of Peng in order to avoid angering China in the lead up to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

However, Dick Pound, a long time IOC grandee, who currently serves as chairman of Olympic Broadcasting Services, said that such claims are "silly."

"Frankly, I think that's a little silly and it's not supported by the evidence," Pound told Bloomberg TV on Tuesday.

Pound then went further and seemed to brag that no one else had managed to make contact with Shuai.

"All kinds of people were trying to get in touch with her to make sure that she was alive and healthy and not in captivity," he said. 

"The only organization in the world that's been able to establish that is the IOC. I thought it was a very good start and everyone should be reassured she's fine."

As of yet, the IOC has refused to release the full video of the call.

In a Wednesday interview with CNN, Pound added that those on the call with Peng have substantial experience of seeing people in distress, and came to the conclusion that she was "fine."

"What we have is hard evidence as we can have and feel. These are people who have dealt with athletes and dealt with pressure," he said.

"They can tell whether somebody is behaving under duress or not.

"Their unanimous conclusion was that she was fine. And she just asked that her privacy be respected for the time being."

Fears and tensions over Peng remain

Tensions over Peng could escalate further ahead of the Olympics, as both the United States and Australia are reported to be considering a diplomatic boycott of next year's winter games.

The Washington Post reported last week that a formal recommendation to boycott the games in protest against human rights abuses had been put to President Joe Biden. It also reported that he was expected to approve it before the end of November. As of December 1, no such proposal has been publicly approved.

Australia is said to also be mulling over the possibility of a boycott, though it is expected that the country's government would wait to see what the US does before making its move.

"It is understandable that many people, including in the international sporting community, have raised serious concerns about Ms Peng's welfare," an Australian government spokesperson said, as reported by the Guardian. 

"This is a matter that needs to be responded to with transparency and accountability."