.The performance in the stands at Roland Garrosu00e2 $ s Courthouse Philippe-Chatrier was actually populated with vermillion banners, incorporating a glow to the actually orangey air rising off the reddish clay-based court.These were actually Mandarin flagsu00e2 $" thousands of themu00e2 $" swaying in boisterous help for Qinwen Zheng, 21, that would quickly take gold through defeating Croatiau00e2 $ s Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-3 in the womenu00e2 $ s single people ping pong final.As she set on the filth, eyes skyward and fists expanded into the Paris fog, the winu00e2 $ s gravitational force appeared to enroll: Zheng had actually just forged the kind of past history that prolonged much past the stadium and the moment. This was actually Chinau00e2 $ s first-ever Olympic gold medal in the sportu00e2 $" and also Zheng had created obvious of the reality that the Olympics were actually as, or even even more, vital to her than a Grand Slam.Zheng commemorates her Olympic victory on August 3.Image: Getty Imagesu00e2 $ In China, our company regularly believe a countryu00e2 $ s honor resides in face of private effectiveness, u00e2 $ she pointed out over an early morning conference at Nikeu00e2 $ s Athlete Home, put quietly between the Stade de France and also the Aquatics Centre in Parisu00e2 $ s St. Denis place, the time after her accomplishment. u00e2 $ I managed [the Video games] differentlyu00e2 $" the emotion, the fight, the attitude: It really felt various than intermittent event Iu00e2 $ ve played.u00e2 $ Birthed in 2002 in Shiyan, China, Zheng began participating in tennis at grow older 7. At age eight, she moved, without her mother and also father, to Wuhan for far better coaching, and because teenage years she has heavily appreciated and emulated Mandarin athletes, 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 definitely challenging, u00e2 $ Zheng stated, recalling at those early times. u00e2 $ My mama made use of to follow go to on weekend breaks. When she left, I would certainly hold her leg as well as weep. When she was actually gone, I would certainly consistently keep her coat. This was up until I was actually 13. After 13, my mother chose to quit her task and also happen remain with me permanent, merely to have much better development and also much better treatment. After that, it acquired easier. As well as we moved to Europe when I was actually 17. u00e2 $.