.The scene in the platforms at Roland Garrosu00e2 $ s Court Philippe-Chatrier was actually dotted with vermillion banners, incorporating a glow to the presently orangey air originating off the reddish clay court.These were actually Chinese flagsu00e2 $" numerous themu00e2 $" waving in loud help for Qinwen Zheng, 21, that would very soon take gold through defeating Croatiau00e2 $ s Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-3 in the womenu00e2 $ s singles ping pong final.As she set on the gunk, eyes skyward as well as fists expanded right into the Paris fog, the winu00e2 $ s gravitation appeared to sign up: Zheng had actually merely forged the sort of history that stretched far past the stadium and the minute. This was actually Chinau00e2 $ s first-ever Olympic gold award in the sportu00e2 $" and Zheng had actually created obvious of the truth that the Olympics were as, if not even more, significant to her than a Grand Slam.Zheng celebrates her Olympic victory on August 3.Photograph: Getty Imagesu00e2 $ In China, our company always feel a countryu00e2 $ s respect resides in front of individual results, u00e2 $ she stated over an early morning meeting at Nikeu00e2 $ s Professional athlete Residence, put inconspicuously in between the Stade de France and also the Aquatics Center in Parisu00e2 $ s St. Denis location, the time after her triumph. u00e2 $ I handled [the Games] differentlyu00e2 $" the emotional state, the fight, the way of thinking: It experienced different than intermittent event Iu00e2 $ ve played.u00e2 $ Birthed in 2002 in Shiyan, China, Zheng started playing ping pong at grow older 7. At grow older eight, she relocated, without her mommy as well as dad, to Wuhan for better training, and because teenage years she has greatly admired as well as emulated Chinese athletes, like the ping pong celebrity Li Na as well as the runner Liu Xiang, that succeeded gold at the 2004 Athens Games.u00e2 $ It was definitely tough, u00e2 $ Zheng mentioned, looking back at those very early days. u00e2 $ My mama utilized ahead visit on weekends. When she left behind, I will keep her lower leg as well as cry. When she was actually gone, I will constantly keep her jacket. This was up until I was actually thirteen. After 13, my mommy determined to stop her job and also come stick with me full-time, merely to have far better development and better treatment. After that, it got much easier. As well as our company transferred to Europe when I was actually 17. u00e2 $.