IOC president Thomas Bach has announced that he will hold a meeting with Peng Shuai in person to ease fears over her wellbeing.
The Chinese tennis star sparked international concern when she disappeared from the public eye after accusing former vice premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault, although she then proceeded to retract the allegations.
Shuai has since re-emerged and has taken part in video calls with the IOC, but numerous figures in and outside of tennis remain worried about the 36-year-old's safety as Bach prepares to talk with her during the ongoing Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
A statement read: "Our approach is first and foremost in the interests of Peng Shuai to answer the question which was concerning us from a human point of view, that of where is Peng Shuai?
"That's why we took this approach to get in contact and get to know where she is and as far as possible how she is. This you can only achieve if you take contact.
"This is why we made this contact, in order to find out as much as possible whether the basic and maybe the most important human right of physical integrity is assured. There's no better way than to have a personal meeting.
"She is reporting that she can move freely and is spending time with her family and friends. And now we are taking the next step, to convince us in person of her physical integrity and state of mind.
"We have heard the allegations, we have heard the withdrawal. We will have this personal meeting and continue this conversation. And then we will know better also about her physical integrity, her mental state, when we can finally meet in person."
The WTA suspended all tournaments in China amid the concern surrounding Shuai's safety, while Australian Open organisers reversed their decision to ban "Where is Peng Shuai?" t-shirts after furious backlash.
Ben Knapton
