Ukraine’s Lviv withdraws bid for 2022 Winter Games

People pray during a rally in Independence Square in Kiev, Ukraine, Sunday, June 29, 2014. Hundreds of people have come on Sunday morning to the presidential administration to demand a stop to the cease fire on the eastern part of Ukraine. According to soldiers of the Donbass battalion, the other side hasn't stopped attacks and around 20 soldiers were killed during the last week that suppose to be a pause in active fighting. (AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov) People pray during a rally in Independence Square in Kiev, Ukraine, Sunday, June 29, 2014. Hundreds of people have come on Sunday morning to the presidential administration to demand a stop to the cease fire on the eastern part of Ukraine. According to soldiers of the Donbass battalion, the other side hasn't stopped attacks and around 20 soldiers were killed during the last week that suppose to be a pause in active fighting. (AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov)

By Associated Press June 30, 2014 4 min read

LONDON (AP) – The Ukrainian city of Lviv withdrew its bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics on Monday, becoming the third contender to drop out of the race for a games that no one seems to want.

Lviv pulled out because of the continuing political and security crisis in Ukraine, where government forces are battling an insurgency by pro-Russian separatists.

Lviv officials said they would now focus on bidding for the 2026 Winter Games instead.

The decision to withdraw, which had been widely expected, followed talks between Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and IOC President Thomas Bach.

“We concluded that it would be extremely difficult to pursue the 2022 bid under current circumstances but that a future bid would make sense for Ukraine and Ukrainian sport,” Bach said in a statement.