.The scene in the platforms at Roland Garrosu00e2 $ s Courtroom Philippe-Chatrier was dotted with vermillion banners, including a radiance to the already orangey sky rising off the reddish clay-based court.These were actually Mandarin flagsu00e2 $" dozens themu00e2 $" waving in energetic help for Qinwen Zheng, 21, who will quickly take gold by beating Croatiau00e2 $ s Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-3 in the womenu00e2 $ s songs tennis final.As she set on the dust, eyes skyward as well as fists stretched right into the Paris haze, the winu00e2 $ s gravity seemed to sign up: Zheng had merely built the sort of record that prolonged much past the coliseum and also the minute. This was actually Chinau00e2 $ s first-ever Olympic gold award in the sportu00e2 $" and Zheng had actually created no secret of the truth that the Olympics were as, otherwise even more, important to her than a Grand Slam.Zheng celebrates her Olympic victory on August 3.Image: Getty Imagesu00e2 $ In China, our company regularly feel a countryu00e2 $ s honor resides in front end of personal success, u00e2 $ she claimed over a morning conference at Nikeu00e2 $ s Sportsmen House, tucked discreetly in between the Stade de France and also the Aquatics Center in Parisu00e2 $ s St. Denis location, the day after her victory. u00e2 $ I handled [the Gamings] differentlyu00e2 $" the feeling, the battle, the mindset: It experienced different than every other competition Iu00e2 $ ve played.u00e2 $ Born in 2002 in Shiyan, China, Zheng began playing ping pong at grow older seven. At age eight, she relocated, without her mommy and also dad, to Wuhan for better training, and also given that teenage years she has actually heavily admired and imitated Mandarin sportsmens, including the ping pong star Li Na and also the jogger Liu Xiang, who succeeded gold at the 2004 Athens Games.u00e2 $ It was actually actually hard, u00e2 $ Zheng pointed out, recalling at those early days. u00e2 $ My mommy made use of to find check out on weekend breaks. When she left, I would secure her leg and also weep. When she was gone, I would regularly hold her coat. This was actually up until I was actually 13. After thirteen, my mama determined to quit her task and come stick with me full time, simply to have better development as well as far better treatment. Afterwards, it obtained easier. And also our team relocated to Europe when I was actually 17. u00e2 $.