.The performance in the stands at Roland Garrosu00e2 $ s Court Philippe-Chatrier was dotted along with vermillion ensigns, incorporating a radiance to the actually orangey sky rising off the red clay court.These were Chinese flagsu00e2 $" numerous themu00e2 $" swing in lively help for Qinwen Zheng, 21, who would soon take gold by defeating Croatiau00e2 $ s Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-3 in the womenu00e2 $ s singles ping pong final.As she set on the dirt, eyes skyward as well as fists extended into the Paris fog, the winu00e2 $ s gravitational force seemed to enroll: Zheng had actually merely built the kind of past that prolonged much past the arena as well as the instant. This was Chinau00e2 $ s first-ever Olympic gold award in the sportu00e2 $" as well as Zheng had actually made no secret of the simple fact that the Olympics were as, or even more, important to her than a Grand Slam.Zheng commemorates her Olympic victory on August 3.Photograph: Getty Imagesu00e2 $ In China, our company regularly strongly believe a countryu00e2 $ s tribute is in front of private results, u00e2 $ she claimed over a morning meeting at Nikeu00e2 $ s Professional athlete Residence, tucked inconspicuously between the Stade de France as well as the Aquatics Centre in Parisu00e2 $ s St. Denis location, the day after her victory. u00e2 $ I alleviated [the Games] differentlyu00e2 $" the emotion, the match, the way of thinking: It felt various than intermittent event Iu00e2 $ ve played.u00e2 $ Birthed in 2002 in Shiyan, China, Zheng started participating in tennis at age 7. At grow older eight, she moved, without her mother and also father, to Wuhan for far better coaching, and considering that adolescence she has greatly admired as well as replicated Mandarin sportsmens, such as the ping pong celebrity Li Na and the distance runner Liu Xiang, who succeeded gold at the 2004 Athens Games.u00e2 $ It was actually actually difficult, u00e2 $ Zheng stated, remembering at those early times. u00e2 $ My mama utilized to find see on weekend breaks. When she left, I would secure her lower leg and also weep. When she was actually gone, I would consistently store her jacket. This was till I was thirteen. After thirteen, my mama decided to stop her task and also come visit me full-time, simply to possess better growth and better treatment. Afterwards, it acquired simpler. As well as our team moved to Europe when I was actually 17. u00e2 $.