.The performance in the stands at Roland Garrosu00e2 $ s Courtroom Philippe-Chatrier was actually dotted along with vermillion banners, adding a glow to the presently orangey air emanating off the red clay-based court.These were Mandarin flagsu00e2 $" dozens themu00e2 $" waving in lively assistance for Qinwen Zheng, 21, who would 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 dust, eyes skyward as well as fists extended in to the Paris haze, the winu00e2 $ s gravity seemed to be to sign up: Zheng had only shaped the sort of background that extended much past the coliseum and also the minute. This was actually Chinau00e2 $ s first-ever Olympic gold award in the sportu00e2 $" and also Zheng had created clear of the fact that the Olympics were as, otherwise more, vital to her than a Grand Slam.Zheng celebrates her Olympic victory on August 3.Image: Getty Imagesu00e2 $ In China, our company consistently think a countryu00e2 $ s respect remains in front of individual effectiveness, u00e2 $ she mentioned over a morning meeting at Nikeu00e2 $ s Sportsmen Property, tucked quietly in between the Stade de France and the Aquatics Centre in Parisu00e2 $ s St. Denis place, the time after her victory. u00e2 $ I handled [the Games] differentlyu00e2 $" the feeling, the battle, the way of thinking: It really felt various than every other tournament Iu00e2 $ ve played.u00e2 $ Birthed in 2002 in Shiyan, China, Zheng began playing ping pong at grow older 7. At grow older 8, she relocated, without her mom as well as daddy, to Wuhan for much better coaching, and considering that teenage years she has actually deeply admired and also emulated Chinese professional athletes, such as the ping pong star Li Na as well as the distance runner Liu Xiang, who gained gold at the 2004 Athens Games.u00e2 $ It was actually really tough, u00e2 $ Zheng claimed, remembering at those early times. u00e2 $ My mother used to come browse through on weekends. When she left behind, I will keep her leg and also cry. When she was actually gone, I would consistently hold her coat. This was up until I was thirteen. After thirteen, my mama decided to stop her project and happen visit me full-time, just to have far better development as well as far better treatment. Afterwards, it received less complicated. And our team moved to Europe when I was 17. u00e2 $.