.The scene in the stands at Roland Garrosu00e2 $ s Court Philippe-Chatrier was dotted along with vermillion streamers, including a radiance to the currently orangey air rising off the red clay court.These were actually Chinese flagsu00e2 $" hundreds of themu00e2 $" swaying in energetic assistance for Qinwen Zheng, 21, who will soon take gold through defeating Croatiau00e2 $ s Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-3 in the womenu00e2 $ s singles ping pong final.As she lay down on the gunk, eyes skyward and also fists expanded right into the Paris fog, the winu00e2 $ s gravitational force seemed to register: Zheng had actually simply forged the sort of past that extended much past the stadium as well as the second. This was actually Chinau00e2 $ s first-ever Olympic gold award in the sportu00e2 $" and Zheng had actually made clear of the truth that the Olympics were actually as, otherwise more, necessary to her than a Grand Slam.Zheng commemorates her Olympic triumph on August 3.Image: Getty Imagesu00e2 $ In China, we always think a countryu00e2 $ s respect remains in face of private success, u00e2 $ she pointed out over a morning conference at Nikeu00e2 $ s Professional athlete Home, tucked discreetly in between the Stade de France and also the Aquatics Center in Parisu00e2 $ s St. Denis location, the day after her triumph. u00e2 $ I managed [the Video games] differentlyu00e2 $" the emotional state, the battle, the mindset: It experienced various than every other competition Iu00e2 $ ve played.u00e2 $ Birthed in 2002 in Shiyan, China, Zheng began playing tennis at age 7. At age 8, she relocated, without her mama as well as dad, to Wuhan for much better training, and because adolescence she has actually greatly admired and emulated Chinese athletes, such as the tennis star Li Na and the distance runner Liu Xiang, that won gold at the 2004 Athens Games.u00e2 $ It was actually actually tough, u00e2 $ Zheng said, recalling at those very early times. u00e2 $ My mama used to come browse through on weekend breaks. When she left, I will keep her leg and cry. When she was actually gone, I will regularly hold her coat. This was up until I was thirteen. After thirteen, my mommy decided to stop her task and also come stick with me full time, simply to have much better growth and much better treatment. Afterwards, it got less complicated. As well as we transferred to Europe when I was actually 17. u00e2 $.