Peng Shuai watches China star Eileen Gu win gold at Winter Olympics - in pictures

Tennis player attends big air competition with IOC president Thomas Bach

Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai attends the women's freeski big air final at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics on Tuesday, February 08, 2022. Getty

Peng Shuai at the women's freeski big air final at the Beijing Winter Games. Reuters

China's Peng Shuai, right, watches the women's freestyle skiing big air finals with Thomas Bach, center, president of the International Olympic Committee. AP

Thomas Bach, IOC president, speaks to Peng Shuai at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Getty

Eileen Gu of China, left, won the women's freestyle skiing big air final at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. EPA

Eileen Gu, of China, competes during the women's freestyle skiing big air final at the Winter Olympics in Beijing. AP

Eileen Gu of China celebrates winning the women's freestyle skiing big air final at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. EPA

Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai watched local star Eileen Gu win gold in the big air competition at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics to put the hosts at the top of the medals table.

Shuai sat with International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach and watched American-born Chinese freeskier Gu triumph.

Peng's well-being became a matter of global concern when she made an allegation against a retired official.

On Tuesday, Shuai was seated among Olympic athletes and delegation members from several countries. IOC chief Bach visited with members of the group including Peng during the competition.

"I just met her, she was here sitting in the stadium," Bach told Reuters. "She was among the athletes, and I had the opportunity to meet with a number of athletes from Switzerland and from Germany and the US," he said.

A three-time Olympian, Peng's presence during the Games had been a matter of speculation since the IOC said it planned to meet with her in Beijing.

But the day belonged to Californian-born teenage freestyle skier Gu who won gold on her Olympic debut and justified all the pre-Games hype.

Gu, 18, nailed her third and final run to snatch the freeski big air gold from Tess Ledeux and force the French competitor into the silver medal position.

"That was the best moment of my life. The happiest moment, day, whatever... of my life. I just cannot believe what just happened," she said after the win.

A grade-A student and part-time model who switched allegiance from the US to China in 2019, Gu had been touted as one of the faces of the Beijing Olympics.

Gu nailed a left double cork 1620 - four and a half rotations in the air - before landing backwards.

"I have never done the 'left 16 before', I hadn't prepared much for it apart from two days on the air bag," Gu said.

"My mum called me before my last jump and told me not to, but I was adamant I wanted to do the 'left 16'."

Gu, born to an American father and Chinese mother, has captivated China and could yet win more gold. She is also competing in the freeski halfpipe and slopestyle.