LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- Left with little choice after the withdrawal of three contenders, the International Olympic Committee retained the three remaining cities Monday in the troubled race for the 2022 Winter Games. Almaty, Kazakhstan; Beijing, and Oslo made the list of finalists, as had been expected. The IOC executive board approved all three as official candidate cities, sending them through to the final stage of the campaign, rather than cut the decimated field any further. The cities must submit their detailed bid files to the IOC by next January. The host city will then be selected by the full IOC membership in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 31, 2015. "The IOC is very happy to see three very different approaches with regard to the organization of the games," IOC President Thomas Bach said. "This gives the IOC a choice among three diverse bids with different legacy plans, with different approaches, with different budgets." Addressing concerns that the Olympics have become too expensive, Bach said the IOC will contribute about $750 million to the host city and expressed confidence that local organizers will break even or make a profit on their operational budget. He cited a projected $200 million surplus for Russian organizers from Februarys Winter Olympics in Sochi. Potential host cities, especially in Western Europe, are increasingly wary about the financial costs of holding the games. Many have been scared off by the $51 billion price tag associated with the Sochi Games, even though Russia spent much of that record sum on long-term infrastructure projects for the entire region. "We want to encourage sustainability and the feasibility of the organization of the Olympic Games," Bach said. The 2022 bid race began with six cities, but has been cut in half by the withdrawals of Stockholm; Krakow, Poland; and Lviv, Ukraine. Lviv dropped out a week ago amid the continuing political turmoil in Ukraine. Krakow pulled out in May after Polish voters rejected the bid by a 70 per cent margin. Stockholm withdrew in January after Swedish politicians refused to give the bid financial backing. In addition, potential bids from Switzerland and Germany were abandoned before the official campaign began when voters said no in referendums. Even though Oslo -- which hosted the 1952 Winter Games -- made the final cut Monday, its candidacy remains uncertain. The Norwegian government has yet to back the project and wont make a decision until the autumn, probably in November. Polls have shown that more than half the population opposes the bid. "It wasnt very surprising but is confirmation that our application is strong," Oslo Mayor Stian Berger Roesland said after the IOC announcement. "Should Parliament and the government decide (to support the bid) we have a historic opportunity to be awarded the games after so many strong cities have withdrawn." Beijing, which hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics, is bidding to become the first city to host both the summer and winter games. The Chinese capital proposes holding alpine events 120 miles (190 kilometres) away in the city of Zhangjiakou. With Pyeongchang, South Korea, hosting the 2018 Winter Games and Tokyo the 2020 Summer Olympics, however, the IOC would normally be reluctant to send the games to East Asia for a third consecutive time. Almaty, the commercial capital of the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan in Central Asia, hosted the 2011 Asian Games and will host the Winter University Games in 2017. The 2022 race poses a serious challenge for the IOC and Bach to find cities willing to host the games. Changes to the bidding process and efforts to reduce the cost of the games are among the key issues being addressed by the IOC as part of Bachs "Agenda 2020," his roadmap for the future of the Olympic Custom New Orleans Saints Jerseys .com) - The St. New Orleans Saints Pro Shop . Tyrell appeared in seven games with the Lightning this year, he had no points in those appearances. The 24-year-old has seven goals and 17 assists in 132 career NHL games, all coming with the Lightning. He was selected in the second round, 47th overall, of the 2007 draft. https://www.saintsjerseyssale.com/. Perhaps as important, shes sending a message to 17-year-old gold medal favourite Sara Takanashi of Japan. Iraschko-Stolz relegated Takanashi, who has 10 World Cup victories this season, to second place in two of three training jumps Saturday. New Orleans Saints Shirts . "I only want to go through this one more time," Crosby said Friday. The 24-year-old captain hasnt played since the symptoms resurfaced following a loss to Boston on Dec. 5. Doctors allowed him to return to full practice on Tuesday and while Crosby is pleased with the way his body is responding he refuses to put on his return. New Orleans Saints Store .J. - The New Jersey Devils know the odds are against them as they chase a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.VALENCIA, Spain -- David Barral came off the bench to score two headers and give Levante a 2-1 win at home over Elche on Friday, ending its four-game losing streak in the Spanish league. Levante, which had lost five straight including a Copa del Rey game last weekend, fell behind at its Ciutat de Valencia stadium when Ionut Sapanura opened the scoring for Elche in the 26th minute. But Barral replaced injured striker Baba Diawara in the 38th and three minutes later levelled by expertly nodding in Nabil El Zhars cross. Levante pressed the visitors into their area in the second half, and Elche goalkeeper Antonio "Tono" Rodriguez had to push Nikolas Karabelas shot onto his crossbar in the 66th. But Tono was helpless to stop Barral from thumping in the 80th-minute winner when Pedro Rios picked him out chharging unmarked through the box with a well-placed cross.dddddddddddd It was Levantes first victory since Oct. 26. Both sides remained in the middle of the standings. "This is a huge boost for us considering the negative streak we were on," Barral said. The former Sporting Gijon player added that with 20 points, Levante was halfway to its goal of finishing the season with 40, the minimum it believes necessary to avoid relegation. Barcelona hosts Villarreal on Saturday while third-place Real Madrid visits Osasuna. Also, Granada visits Rayo Vallecano and Malaga welcomes Getafe. Atletico Madrid, co-leader with Barcelona, hosts Valencia on Sunday. Elsewhere, its: Almeria vs. Espanyol, Real Sociedad vs. Real Betis, and Sevilla vs. Athletic Bilbao. Valladolid hosts Celta Vigo on Monday. ' ' '