.The scene in the platforms at Roland Garrosu00e2 $ s Court Philippe-Chatrier was actually dotted along with vermillion banners, including a glow to the presently orangey sky originating off the reddish clay-based court.These were actually Mandarin flagsu00e2 $" thousands of themu00e2 $" swing in energetic support for Qinwen Zheng, 21, who would certainly very soon take gold through defeating Croatiau00e2 $ s Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-3 in the womenu00e2 $ s songs tennis final.As she lay down on the dust, eyes skyward and fists stretched into the Paris haze, the winu00e2 $ s gravitational force seemed to be to register: Zheng had just forged the kind of past history that expanded much past the coliseum and also the minute. This was actually Chinau00e2 $ s first-ever Olympic gold medal in the sportu00e2 $" and also Zheng had made obvious of the truth that the Olympics were actually as, otherwise even more, necessary to her than a Grand Slam.Zheng celebrates her Olympic triumph on August 3.Image: Getty Imagesu00e2 $ In China, we regularly strongly believe a countryu00e2 $ s tribute resides in front of private results, u00e2 $ she mentioned over a morning meeting at Nikeu00e2 $ s Athlete Property, put discreetly between the Stade de France as well as the Aquatics Center in Parisu00e2 $ s St. Denis place, the time after her victory. u00e2 $ I alleviated [the Games] differentlyu00e2 $" the emotion, the match, the mentality: It really felt different than every other tournament Iu00e2 $ ve played.u00e2 $ Born in 2002 in Shiyan, China, Zheng began playing tennis at age 7. At grow older 8, she relocated, without her mom and daddy, to Wuhan for better coaching, as well as given that adolescence she has greatly appreciated and also emulated Chinese sportsmens, such as the tennis celebrity Li Na and the distance runner Liu Xiang, that gained gold at the 2004 Athens Games.u00e2 $ It was truly difficult, u00e2 $ Zheng pointed out, looking back at those very early times. u00e2 $ My mother used ahead check out on weekend breaks. When she left, I would keep her leg as well as cry. When she was actually gone, I would certainly consistently keep her jacket. This was till I was thirteen. After thirteen, my mommy determined to quit her work and also happen remain with me permanent, merely to have better development as well as far better treatment. Afterwards, it received simpler. As well as our team moved to Europe when I was actually 17. u00e2 $.