.The performance in the platforms at Roland Garrosu00e2 $ s Court Philippe-Chatrier was populated with vermillion banners, incorporating a glow to the currently orangey sky originating off the reddish clay-based court.These were Mandarin flagsu00e2 $" numerous themu00e2 $" swaying in energetic support for Qinwen Zheng, 21, who will quickly take gold by defeating Croatiau00e2 $ s Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-3 in the womenu00e2 $ s songs tennis final.As she lay down on the filth, eyes skyward and also fists expanded into the Paris haze, the winu00e2 $ s gravitational force appeared to sign up: Zheng had merely forged the type of background that extended much past the coliseum and also the minute. This was Chinau00e2 $ s first-ever Olympic gold medal in the sportu00e2 $" and also Zheng had created no secret of the reality that the Olympics were actually as, if not even more, necessary to her than a Grand Slam.Zheng commemorates her Olympic success on August 3.Image: Getty Imagesu00e2 $ In China, our company consistently feel a countryu00e2 $ s honor remains in front of private excellence, u00e2 $ she pointed out over an early morning meeting at Nikeu00e2 $ s Professional athlete Home, put inconspicuously between the Stade de France and also the Aquatics Center in Parisu00e2 $ s St. Denis area, the time after her triumph. u00e2 $ I alleviated [the Games] differentlyu00e2 $" the emotion, the battle, the mindset: It really felt different than every other event Iu00e2 $ ve played.u00e2 $ Born in 2002 in Shiyan, China, Zheng started participating in tennis at age seven. At grow older eight, she relocated, without her mom and dad, to Wuhan for better mentoring, and also since adolescence she has actually heavily marvelled at as well as emulated Chinese professional athletes, such as the ping pong star Li Na as well as the runner Liu Xiang, that gained gold at the 2004 Athens Games.u00e2 $ It was actually hard, u00e2 $ Zheng stated, recalling at those early times. u00e2 $ My mama used to follow go to on weekends. When she left, I would certainly keep her leg and cry. When she was gone, I will always keep her jacket. This was till I was actually 13. After thirteen, my mom determined to quit her work and also happen stick with me full time, just to have better development and far better care. Afterwards, it received simpler. As well as our experts transferred to Europe when I was 17. u00e2 $.