With the competitions at the London Olympic Games becoming tenser, China has witnessed increasing criticism of its "gold medal first" strategy.  The voices of condemnation could be heard as athletes from the Chinese national team were awarded gold medals, and even more loudly at the moment when the Chinese badminton players were punished. A lot of the criticism was directed towards the Olympic gold medal "creator" - China's State-run sports system.

These reflections on the state-run sports system can be dated back many years, and have surfaced at every Olympic Games. Thanks to microblogs, the debate on this issue has gone viral online this year.  We have to be aware that the nation's views and that the need for glory via sports has changed.

The State-run sports system was formed and promoted along with Chinese participation in the Olympic Games. Many modern Chinese may have forgotten how China yearned for more gold medals when the Table Tennis World Championships were China's only hopes of gaining national pride from sport. The State-run sports system has taken China from no medals to the top of the tally, quenching the thirst of many Chinese for national pride.

After the Beijing Olympic Games,  China no longer needed medals for self-confidence. In contrast, people now sometimes get tired of seeing Chinese athletes take all the gold medals in certain sports. The clash between China's position at the top of the medal tally and the low status of sports participation in China has become a target for those venting their dissatisfaction.

In the State-run sports system, the country's sporting resources are concentrated on a few of the most talented who aim to become world champions. In this regard, competitive sports have become an exam-oriented system. Although there are some limitations in the system, it has been effective for games like the Olympic Games. This is why it can't be discarded entirely.

Those who are indifferent to China's gold medal victories are few, and the happiness the gold medals bring could never be replaced.

The Olympic spirit, in the end, is different from the Olympic Games. While the spirit represents lofty ideals that are essential, the Olympic Games is worldly by nature, and most of the time, provides happiness for viewers.

Neither the opposition to the "gold medal first" practice, or the criticism of the State-run sports system, is totally wrong. But it would be absurd if these ideas were taken to the extreme,  then regarded as mainstream. China needs reforms, but a total repudiation of the State-run sports system, or calling it a representation of the shortcomings of Chinese politics would both be false, and fall far short of objectivity.