Bell and Palla lead Slalom charge in Saalbach

Alpine pair deliver best Women’s World Championship Slalom results in a generation

Reece Bell and Victoria Palla laid down a Slalom marker at the 2025 Alpine World Championships, delivering Britain’s best women’s Slalom results in a generation.

Having both qualified for the second run inside the top-30, the pair briefly sat in the 1-2 slot as each delivered solid second run performances to put Britain on track for a result of historic significance.

In the end, the pair’s performances were good enough for 20th and 23rd position in the final standings, with Bell’s 20th place finish becoming Britain’s best in a Women’s World Championships Slalom race since Emma Carrick-Anderson’s 11th place in Sestriere in 1997, while the two results together provided Britain with their first brace of top-30 finishes in a Women’s World Championships Slalom since Carrick-Anderson and Claire de Pourtales achieved the feat in 1993 in Morioka Shizukuishi.

Beneath the headline results were shoots of huge promise, not least in Bell’s second and third sectors of the second run, which clocked in as the second and third fastest in the field.

Speaking afterwards, Reece Bell said:

“It was exciting to race in my second World Champs today. At the start of the race my only goal was to put down some skiing that I was proud of. I wasn’t too happy with the intensity of my first run, but I was lucky enough to have a fresh track to push it a bit more second run. Most importantly, I learned that putting down a fast run isn’t as out of reach as I thought. It was extremely special to share this day with my parents, because it wouldn’t have been possible without them.”

The 2025 Alpine World Championships conclude tomorrow with the Men’s Slalom, where Billy Major, Dave Ryding, and Laurie Taylor will all be in action.