If you provide people an incentive to lose they will do so, it's been going on for years (the draft in professional sports, and I know in the nba teams dont lose on purpose but stop trying if they want to face a certain opponent in the playoffs for a better match up). Not saying it's right, just that this is one of the few times people are being called out and reprimanded for it, so yea they are going to defend themselves as it's happened so much without any repercussion.
It's not simply China, in the NBA there is the team building mentality of completly stripping your team, bottoming out and building through the draft. It's perfectly accepted with the notion of "this is how we get good and can truly end up competing". China's view was "this is our best chance at getting a gold medal here". If you leave loopholes people will try and exploit them, been doing it since the beginning of civilization for crying out loud. It's our habit, cant expect people to not defend themselves about it.
Besides, they're athletes. Do you want them walking around with a defeatist attitude? The ones still in the games still have to compete, still need to keep a positive attitude. Honestly how many guys here have stood up for their friend, relative, girlfriend/wife when they knew they were wrong? It's no different, they're standing up for their countrymen. I'd be more concerned if they simply threw them under the bus.
