With concern over the safety of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai growing into a global cause, the International Olympic Committee could be pushed into taking a hard line with the 2022 Beijing Olympic hosts, says senior member Dick Pound.
Former doubles world No.1 Peng has not been seen or heard from publicly since saying on Chinese social media on 2 November she had been coerced into sex and later had an on-off consensual relationship with a former government official.
Such is the global outcry over Peng's safety and whereabouts, Pound said the situation could force the IOC to confront China over its human rights record.
Although the outrage is unlikely to stop the Beijing Winter Games going ahead in February, Pound would not completely rule it out.
"If that's not resolved in a sensible way very soon it may spin out of control," Pound, the IOC's longest serving member, told Reuters. "It may (force IOC into taking a harder line).
"Whether that escalates to a cessation of the Olympic Games I doubt it. But you never know."
State media editor says Peng will appear in public soon
The Chinese government has not commented on Peng's allegation. The 35-year-old tennis player's social media post was quickly deleted and the topic has been blocked from discussion on China's heavily censored internet.
Global Times editor-in-chief Hu Xijin said he had confirmed through his sources that photos shared on Twitter by a journalist working for Chinese state media, purportedly showing Peng at home, depicted her "current state."
The authenticity of the pictures could be not independently verified.
"In the past few days, she stayed in her own home freely and she didn't want to be disturbed. She will show up in public and participate in some activities soon," Hu wrote on Twitter.
The Global Times is published by the People's Daily, the official newspaper of China’s ruling Communist Party.
Yaqiu Wang, a senior researcher on China at Human Rights Watch, said there are growing calls for independent, verifiable proof of Peng Shuai's health and wellbeing.
She told BBC News, the photos of Peng Shuai playing happily with her cat while people have been trying to verify her wellbeing appear inauthentic and incongruous.
"The photos depict her in a home setting very happy and playing with her cat," she said.
"But it doesn't fell authentic at all from an outsider's perspective because the world is asking where you are. Everybody is concerned.
"As a normal person, you wouldn't just post some very happy pictures playing with your cat on WeChat without directly responding to people."
The governing body of women's tennis, the Women's Tennis Association, has called for an investigation and has threatened to pull tournaments worth tens of millions of dollars out of China.
Even though Peng is a three-time Olympian, the IOC has given no indication it is willing to take a similar stand and risk billions of dollars in television rights and sponsorships.
"I don't know whether we are there yet but I'm sure they (IOC executive committee) are following this to see where it is going," said Pound, a Canadian lawyer and former-Olympian.
"Action against one of its own citizens for airing a complaint about one of their higher ups - that's harder for them (China) to handle than the usual 'this is a domestic matter now get lost'."
Thus far the IOC has declined to comment on Peng's matter, saying it believed "quiet diplomacy" offered the best opportunity for a solution.
Pound conceded China does not respond well to threats and negotiating with sport and government officials requires nuance.
"That would be a little harder line than the IOC would normally be taking," said Pound, when asked if the IOC might demand a meeting with Peng.
"Where we have generated some change of attitude in the past we've said, "listen this is all out there in the public how do we respond. We can't ignore it.
"That in the past has produced some movement."
Tennis community rallies in support of Peng
Australian Open boss Craig Tiley said he is seeking assurances of the wellbeing of Peng.
The 35-year-old has been a popular visitor to Melbourne Park, twice reaching the round of 16, while she's a two-time grand slam doubles winner at Wimbledon and the French Open.
She reached the final four of the US Open in 2014 in her best major singles result.
"Everyone is aware of the Peng Shuai situation, the primary thing for us is to make sure she is safe," Tiley said at the Australian Open launch on Saturday.
"We have utilised our channels, we have been working behind the scenes to find out and get more clarity about her safety.
"Our position is very clear: we want to know that she is safe and then secondly we want her to know as a community, not only a global tennis community, but as a community here in Australia we will do everything we can to support her wellbeing.
"It is a matter we are building more clarity on as time goes on and we're using every possible channel that we can to assure her safety."
The WTA has threatened to withdraw all tournaments from China if her location is not soon revealed.
Meanwhile, world No.1 Novak Djokovic said the sport must stand together over the apparent disappearance of the tennis star.
"The whole community, tennis community, needs to back her up and her family, make sure that she's safe and sound because if you would have tournaments on the Chinese soil without resolving this situation, it would be a little bit strange.
"I do understand why WTA has taken a stance like that.
"I hope that for the sake of tennis, Chinese tennis, Peng Shuai, to find her very soon. It's terrible. I mean, this could happen to anybody in any part of the world.
"We just have to unite and stand together and show that there is no ignorance to this, that it's not like it's just I guess something that concerns China."
Additional reporting: Reuters
