.The performance in the platforms at Roland Garrosu00e2 $ s Courtroom Philippe-Chatrier was populated with vermillion banners, adding a glow to the already orangey air originating off the red clay court.These were actually Chinese flagsu00e2 $" dozens themu00e2 $" waving in energetic support for Qinwen Zheng, 21, that would very soon take gold by defeating Croatiau00e2 $ s Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-3 in the womenu00e2 $ s single people tennis final.As she lay down on the gunk, eyes skyward and fists stretched right into the Paris haze, the winu00e2 $ s gravity seemed to be to enroll: Zheng had actually simply shaped the kind of past history that prolonged far past the stadium and also the instant. This was actually Chinau00e2 $ s first-ever Olympic gold award in the sportu00e2 $" as well as Zheng had created clear of the fact that the Olympics were actually as, otherwise even more, crucial to her than a Grand Slam.Zheng commemorates her Olympic victory on August 3.Photograph: Getty Imagesu00e2 $ In China, our company regularly feel a countryu00e2 $ s honor is in front of personal results, u00e2 $ she mentioned over an early morning meeting at Nikeu00e2 $ s Athlete Property, put discreetly in between the Stade de France as well as the Aquatics Center in Parisu00e2 $ s St. Denis location, the time after her conquest. u00e2 $ I dealt with [the Gamings] differentlyu00e2 $" the emotion, the match, the attitude: It felt different than every other competition Iu00e2 $ ve played.u00e2 $ Born in 2002 in Shiyan, China, Zheng began playing ping pong at age 7. At age eight, she relocated, without her mom as well as daddy, to Wuhan for much better training, and also considering that teenage years she has actually greatly appreciated as well as followed Chinese sportsmens, including the tennis superstar Li Na as well as the distance runner Liu Xiang, who succeeded gold at the 2004 Athens Games.u00e2 $ It was actually really tough, u00e2 $ Zheng said, looking back at those very early times. u00e2 $ My mommy used to find visit on weekends. When she left behind, I would secure her lower leg and also cry. When she was gone, I would certainly always keep her coat. This was actually until I was actually thirteen. After thirteen, my mother chose to stop her project as well as come stick with me full-time, just to possess much better development and also far better treatment. Afterwards, it got easier. And our experts transferred to Europe when I was actually 17. u00e2 $.