International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach held a face-to-face meeting with Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai on Saturday in Beijing, the IOC said in a statement Monday.
The two were joined by the former IOC Athletes' Commission chair Kirsty Coventry over dinner at the Olympic Club in the Chinese capital.
“During the dinner, the three spoke about their common experience as athletes at the Olympic Games, and Peng Shuai spoke of her disappointment at not being able to qualify for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020,” the statement said.
“Kirsty Coventry and Peng Shuai also agreed that they would remain in contact. And all three agreed that any further communication about the content of the meeting would be left to her discretion,” it continued.
Peng, one of China's most recognizable athletes, accused former Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of coercing her into sex, according to screenshots of a since-deleted social media post dated Nov. 2.
Concern about her safety and whereabouts grew after her allegations, with the Women's Tennis Association pulling out of China.
In December, Peng denied making the allegations in an interview with Singapore-based Chinese-language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao.