"I am okay": Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai speaks with IOC chief and assures the world

Olympic officials appear to have secured the first chance to reach the disappeared Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai. As sports officials outside of China were eager to hear directly from the player. According to a press release from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Peng told IOC officials in a video call from Beijing on Nov. 21 that she was safe and well.

IOC President Thomas Bach arranged the 30 minute video call. Athletes' commission chair Emma Terho and IOC Member in China Li Lingwei attended the call. It comes after the three-time Olympian disappeared from public view for nearly 20 days. After a now deleted post appeared on her Weibo account earlier this month. Accusing a former leading Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official of sexual assault.

Until now, efforts from those outside of China to contact former doubles world number one via various methods have led nowhere.

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Over Peng's whereabouts have led to further calls to boycott the upcoming Beijing 2022 Olympics. A prestige event for the CCP—with critics of the regime saying that the safety of athletes. It now seems not guaranteed by the host country. The women's professional tour threatened to pull its events out of China unless Peng's safety can be assured.

Beijing video conferance ; Peng Shuai

Beijing had been keeping its response to the accusations low-key—until last week. Chinese authorities and state-controlled media. Then released emails claims to be written by Peng. As well as photos and clips of Peng in what many suspect is an attempt to quell concerns for safety .

Now, the IOC's Terho, a hockey player from Finland has said that Peng "appeared to be relaxed" following a real-time virtual chat with Olympic officials. He had remained quiet about the status of Peng until the past weekend.

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According to the Switzerland-based Olympic body, Peng "thanked the IOC for its concern about her well-being."

"She explained that she is safe and well, living at her home in Beijing. But would like to have her privacy respected at this time. That is why she prefers to spend her time with friends and family right now," the statement said.