China didn't acquit herself well in Rio Olympic.  Up to date, she lagged far behind US team in medal acquisition, and even behind that of UK.  Some people then claimed that the effectiveness of China's "national system" had waned, and suggested China should change over to new ways. 

In fact, no countries who want to compete in Olympic can do without the support from "national system".  UK, once acquired only one gold in Atlanta, 96, has adopted "modified national system" like US by heavily subsidizing various sports associations according to their contribution and potentiality, and it works this time.  In US, its Olympic commites appoint different NCAA universities to honor non-professional Olympic items, and subsidize almost all of the cost, including total scholarship for all of those outstanding athletes.  For example, almost all US medalists in swimming of Sidney, 2000 are from University of Michigan.  (My daughter also told me that, for some of those athletes were her classmates.)

As I've always said all of the medalists must endure and pass the ordeal of painstaking training before they can get the trophies, and there is no exception to the rule.  But who will be the mainstay of supporting those expensive training, equipment, tournament events, and so on?  The governments or the government-sponsored schools and enterprises.  Therefore, China may modify her system a little bit but eventually it's her inevitable job; unless, she doesn't have intention to take part in the gold medal rush like India does.