.The scene in the platforms at Roland Garrosu00e2 $ s Courthouse Philippe-Chatrier was actually populated with vermillion ensigns, including a glow to the actually orangey sky rising off the reddish clay-based court.These were Mandarin flagsu00e2 $" manies themu00e2 $" swing in loud support for Qinwen Zheng, 21, that would certainly quickly take gold through defeating Croatiau00e2 $ s Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-3 in the womenu00e2 $ s single people tennis final.As she put down on the dirt, eyes skyward and fists expanded in to the Paris fog, the winu00e2 $ s gravitation appeared to enroll: Zheng had simply shaped the type of background that extended much past the stadium as well as the moment. This was actually Chinau00e2 $ s first-ever Olympic gold award in the sportu00e2 $" and Zheng had actually made clear of the reality that the Olympics were actually as, or even more, significant to her than a Grand Slam.Zheng commemorates her Olympic success on August 3.Image: Getty Imagesu00e2 $ In China, we always believe a countryu00e2 $ s honor resides in front end of individual effectiveness, u00e2 $ she said over a morning appointment at Nikeu00e2 $ s Athlete Home, tucked inconspicuously between the Stade de France as well as the Aquatics Centre in Parisu00e2 $ s St. Denis area, the time after her conquest. u00e2 $ I treated [the Video games] differentlyu00e2 $" the emotion, the battle, the attitude: It experienced various than every other tournament Iu00e2 $ ve played.u00e2 $ Birthed in 2002 in Shiyan, China, Zheng started participating in tennis at age 7. At grow older eight, she moved, without her mom as well as daddy, to Wuhan for much better mentoring, and due to the fact that adolescence she has profoundly appreciated as well as imitated Chinese professional athletes, like the ping pong star Li Na as well as the jogger Liu Xiang, that gained gold at the 2004 Athens Games.u00e2 $ It was really hard, u00e2 $ Zheng stated, looking back at those early times. u00e2 $ My mama utilized to come see on weekends. When she left, I will hold her leg and also weep. When she was gone, I would constantly keep her jacket. This was until I was actually thirteen. After thirteen, my mom chose to stop her project and happen visit me full-time, merely to have far better growth and also better care. After that, it acquired much easier. As well as our experts relocated to Europe when I was 17. u00e2 $.