.The performance in the platforms at Roland Garrosu00e2 $ s Court Philippe-Chatrier was actually dotted with vermillion streamers, adding a glow to the currently orangey sky rising off the reddish clay-based court.These were actually Chinese flagsu00e2 $" hundreds of themu00e2 $" swaying in energetic assistance for Qinwen Zheng, 21, who would certainly quickly take gold through beating Croatiau00e2 $ s Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-3 in the womenu00e2 $ s single people ping pong final.As she lay down on the dirt, eyes skyward and fists extended into the Paris fog, the winu00e2 $ s gravitation appeared to sign up: Zheng had actually merely shaped the type of past history that prolonged far past the stadium and the instant. This was actually Chinau00e2 $ s first-ever Olympic gold award in the sportu00e2 $" and also Zheng had made clear of the truth that the Olympics were actually as, if not additional, significant to her than a Grand Slam.Zheng celebrates her Olympic triumph on August 3.Photo: Getty Imagesu00e2 $ In China, our experts regularly feel a countryu00e2 $ s tribute is in front of private results, u00e2 $ she said over an early morning appointment at Nikeu00e2 $ s Professional athlete Residence, put inconspicuously between the Stade de France and the Aquatics Centre in Parisu00e2 $ s St. Denis area, the time after her accomplishment. u00e2 $ I dealt with [the Video games] differentlyu00e2 $" the feeling, the match, the mentality: It really felt various than intermittent tournament Iu00e2 $ ve played.u00e2 $ Birthed in 2002 in Shiyan, China, Zheng began playing tennis at grow older 7. At age eight, she relocated, without her mama as well as daddy, to Wuhan for far better coaching, and given that teenage years she has heavily appreciated as well as replicated Mandarin athletes, such as the ping pong superstar Li Na and the distance runner Liu Xiang, that won gold at the 2004 Athens Games.u00e2 $ It was actually hard, u00e2 $ Zheng mentioned, looking back at those very early times. u00e2 $ My mama made use of to follow browse through on weekend breaks. When she left, I would certainly secure her leg as well as cry. When she was actually gone, I will always keep her jacket. This was till I was actually 13. After 13, my mother chose to quit her project and also come stick with me full time, only to have far better development as well as better treatment. After that, it got easier. As well as we moved to Europe when I was 17. u00e2 $.