The 123rd FIM Congress started today with the session of the General Assembly in the Conference Centre of the Fiesta Bahia Hotel in Salvador, in the presence of the delegates of 79 National Federations.

- Mr Vito Ippolito (Venezuela) was elected FIM President this morning.

Amongst the four candidates (Vito Ippolito, Hans-Robert Kreutz, Jean-Pierre Mougin and Jos Vaessen) who took part in the first ballot, no one obtained the necessary majority. As Messrs Ippolito and Vaessen obtained the best results, both took part in the second ballot. Mr Ippolito was elected with 75 votes, against 70 for Mr Vaessen.

- Vito Ippolito is Venezuelan. He is 54 years old, married, 3 children. He has been President of the FMV (Venezuelan Federation) since 1992. He was member of the FIM Road Racing Commission from 1984 until 1990. He was FIM Vice-President from 1990 to 1996, and then FIM Deputy President since 1997. He was also President of the ULM (Union Latino-Americana de Motociclismo) from 1984 until 1998. He was manager of the team Venemotos whose rider Carlos Lavado became 250 Grand Prix World Champion in 1983 and 1986.

Vito Ippolito is the first non-European elected President of the FIM since its foundation in 1904.

- The works of the General Assembly continue this afternoon, notably with the elections of the Vice-Presidents and Internal Auditors.