(ATR) Bid president Magdalena Sroka says she respects the "No" vote of residents as the city bows out of the Olympic bidding race.
The Polish bid released a three-paragraph statement confirming its exit from the contest a day after results of Sunday’s referendum were unofficially announced.
It said that 67.7 percent (143,796) had rejected the Olympics, answering "No" to the question: Are you in favor of Krakow hosting the 2022 Olympic Winter Games?
Only 30.3 percent of residents who voted (62,453) backed the bid.
"We respect the decision taken by the residents who decided democratically that the city should discontinue its efforts to host the 2022 Games," Sroka said.
"We realize that it is impossible to organize such a big event without social support."
She added: "The results of the referendum have been communicated to all our partners who were involved in the project. Together with the Polish Olympic Committee they will be taking further decisions related to Krakow’s bid."
The turnout was 34 percent. A minimum of 30 percent was needed for the vote to be valid.
Krakow’s departure leaves Almaty, Beijing, Lviv, and Oslo to fight it out for 2022 hosting rights.
Candidate cities for the final year of the bid race will be announced by the IOC Executive Board in the first week of July. The IOC decides on the host city at the Session in Kuala Lumpur in July 2015.
Written by Mark Bisson
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