.The performance in the platforms at Roland Garrosu00e2 $ s Courtroom Philippe-Chatrier was populated with vermillion banners, adding a radiance to the currently orangey air emanating off the red clay court.These were Chinese flagsu00e2 $" numerous themu00e2 $" swaying in lively support for Qinwen Zheng, 21, who would very soon take gold by beating Croatiau00e2 $ s Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-3 in the womenu00e2 $ s songs tennis final.As she lay down on the gunk, eyes skyward as well as fists extended in to the Paris haze, the winu00e2 $ s gravity appeared to sign up: Zheng had simply forged the kind of past that expanded much past the stadium and the minute. This was actually Chinau00e2 $ s first-ever Olympic gold award in the sportu00e2 $" and also Zheng had actually created no secret of the reality that the Olympics were actually as, if not even more, significant to her than a Grand Slam.Zheng celebrates her Olympic victory on August 3.Photo: Getty Imagesu00e2 $ In China, we consistently believe a countryu00e2 $ s tribute is in front of private results, u00e2 $ she claimed over a morning conference at Nikeu00e2 $ s Sportsmen Home, tucked quietly between the Stade de France as well as the Aquatics Center in Parisu00e2 $ s St. Denis region, the time after her victory. u00e2 $ I dealt with [the Games] differentlyu00e2 $" the emotional state, the battle, the attitude: It experienced different than intermittent event Iu00e2 $ ve played.u00e2 $ Birthed in 2002 in Shiyan, China, Zheng started participating in ping pong at grow older seven. At age 8, she relocated, without her mama as well as papa, to Wuhan for far better coaching, and due to the fact that teenage years she has heavily marvelled at and also emulated Mandarin athletes, like the ping pong star Li Na and the distance runner Liu Xiang, who succeeded gold at the 2004 Athens Games.u00e2 $ It was really difficult, u00e2 $ Zheng stated, looking back at those very early days. u00e2 $ My mom utilized to find check out on weekends. When she left behind, I would hold her leg and also cry. When she was gone, I would certainly constantly hold her jacket. This was actually up until I was actually 13. After 13, my mama made a decision to stop her task as well as happen stay with me full time, just to possess much better development and far better treatment. After that, it got much easier. And our experts relocated to Europe when I was 17. u00e2 $.