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Former world heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko has decided to take himself out of the running for President of Ukraine, where the 42-year-old has become a noted political figure. Instead, Klitschko is backing Petro Poroshenko.
From NBC News:
Klitschko's withdrawal, and an announcement by Poroshenko late on Friday that he would stand in the May 25 election, sets up a battle between the man known as the 'Chocolate King' and Ukraine's fiery former prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko.
"The only chance of winning is to nominate one candidate from the democratic forces,'' Klitschko told a meeting of his UDAR (Punch) party, saying he backed Poroshenko.
Klitschko recently said that he would not be returning to boxing, as he intended to focus on his political career in his home country. His withdrawal from the Presidential bid likely does not change that, as there's certainly more to be done than just running for President, and he's going to remain a leader of his party.