.The performance in the platforms at Roland Garrosu00e2 $ s Court Philippe-Chatrier was actually populated with vermillion banners, including a glow to the currently orangey sky originating off the red clay-based court.These were Chinese flagsu00e2 $" thousands of themu00e2 $" swaying in energetic help for Qinwen Zheng, 21, that would soon take gold through beating Croatiau00e2 $ s Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-3 in the womenu00e2 $ s songs ping pong final.As she set on the gunk, eyes skyward and also fists stretched right into the Paris fog, the winu00e2 $ s gravitation seemed to be to enroll: Zheng had actually just shaped the type of past that expanded far past the arena as well as the instant. This was actually Chinau00e2 $ s first-ever Olympic gold medal in the sportu00e2 $" as well as Zheng had actually created no secret of the fact that the Olympics were as, if not even more, essential to her than a Grand Slam.Zheng celebrates her Olympic success on August 3.Photo: Getty Imagesu00e2 $ In China, our company regularly believe a countryu00e2 $ s honor is in front end of individual effectiveness, u00e2 $ she pointed out over a morning appointment at Nikeu00e2 $ s Athlete Residence, put inconspicuously in between the Stade de France as well as the Aquatics Facility in Parisu00e2 $ s St. Denis region, the time after her victory. u00e2 $ I addressed [the Games] differentlyu00e2 $" the emotional state, the match, the mindset: It felt different than intermittent tournament Iu00e2 $ ve played.u00e2 $ Born in 2002 in Shiyan, China, Zheng began playing ping pong at age 7. At age 8, she moved, without her mother and also papa, to Wuhan for far better coaching, and also since adolescence she has deeply admired as well as imitated Chinese professional athletes, like the ping pong celebrity Li Na and the runner Liu Xiang, who gained gold at the 2004 Athens Games.u00e2 $ It was actually truly hard, u00e2 $ Zheng mentioned, recalling at those very early times. u00e2 $ My mama made use of to find check out on weekends. When she left, I would certainly hold her lower leg as well as weep. When she was gone, I will consistently store her coat. This was up until I was 13. After thirteen, my mom made a decision to stop her job as well as come remain with me full-time, only to have better growth and better care. After that, it received less complicated. And also our experts relocated to Europe when I was 17. u00e2 $.