The annual season closing prize giving ceremony welcomed a new era as the first edition of the new FIM Awards was realised in the stunning ballroom of the Andorra Park Hotel in Andorra la Vella. Almost five hundred guests including 35 of the 2017 FIM World Champions gathered for a very special evening that was hosted by British broadcaster Gavin Emmett.
Mr Vito Ippolito, FIM President and the 2017 FIM World Champions
Gavin Emmett was joined on stage by a number of high profile celebrities from the mountainous principality and others as he wove a tale of recognition and reward for the many champions and award winners that was interspersed with some more light hearted and humorous moments. These included an impromptu guitar solo by 2017 FIM AMA Supercross World Champion Ryan Dungey.
Following a new format the Next Generation category got proceedings underway proper after President of the FIM, Mr Vito Ippolito had officially opened the ceremony. Thirteen-year-old Eddie Wade who won the FIM 85cc Junior Motocross World Championship perfectly defined this catergory. In the aptly named Lumps, Bumps and Jumps category it was Andorra resident Toni Bou who was the stand out recipient as he collected an FIM X-Trial World Championship medal for an eleventh consecutive time.
The Long Haul category was all about endurance and saw Chile’s Pablo Quintanilla pick up the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion for a second year in a row. Russia was well represented in the Ice to Asphalt category with Dmitry Koltakov being declared the 2017 FIM Ice Speedway Gladiators World Champion. The Stepping Stones category included those champions who have made important strides in their sporting success, and this was illustrated by Josep Garcia who received his medal for becoming 2017 FIM Enduro2 World Champion.
Finally it was the Elite category, which brought the highly applauded ceremony to a close. The female side of the sport featured strongly in this category with 2017 FIM Women’s TrialGP World Champion Emma Bristow and 2017 FIM Women’s Motocross World Champion, Kiara Fontanesi picking up their medals together with 2017 FIM MXGP Motocross World Champion, Antonio Cairoli, 2017 FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Champion, Jason Doyle, 2017 FIM Superbike World Champion, Jonathan Rea and 2017 FIM MotoGP World Champion, Marc Marquez.
Alongside the champions, other successes were also recognised during the ceremony. Marc Marquez was very happy to present this Environment Award to the German Motorcycling Club, The MSC Grevenbroich. Whilst the FIM Road Safety Award went to The Norwegian Motorcycle Union for its ‘Full Kontroll’ initiative leaving The Motoclub do Porto to rightly pick up the FIM Fair Play Award for its kind actions. Finally the 2017 FIM Women in Motorcycling Award went to Motorcycling Western Australia’s Women’s Committee.
President of the FIM, Mr Vito Ippolito closed by saying. “I want to say thank you to everybody who is here tonight, to all our great FIM World Champions, our other award winners and to Andorra for hosting this beautiful ceremony that has marked the first edition of the FIM Awards. We are very proud and we would like to invite you to come back here with us next year.”