The translation of the text «Алиса Лю: путь от юной звезды до олимпийской чемпионки» into English is: «Alice Liu: the journey from a young star to an Olympic champion»
20 february 2026 в 20:37
Alice Liu’s rise from a teenage talent to an Olympic champion is not only linked to her tireless quadruple jumps and bold artistry on ice but also to the support of her coaches, Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali. The figure skating star, hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area, first began working with this duo early in her career and returned to them during her comeback from a break, forming a coaching partnership that helped her achieve a historic victory at the 2026 Winter Olympics. DiGuglielmo and Scali helped Liu refine her technique and performances, blending technical discipline with creative expression on the world’s biggest stages.
Learn more about Liu’s coaches and their working relationship below.
Alice began collaborating with Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali in 2020 when her father replaced her longtime coach, Laura Lipetska, with this pair as part of a broader coaching change. Scali had already been part of her team since 2019, and DiGuglielmo joined the coaching staff at the same time.
After Liu paused her career in 2022, she returned to training with DiGuglielmo and Scali in 2024 when she decided to return to competition on her own terms.
Liu’s father, Arthur Liu, made decisions about her coaches for much of her early career. In 2021, shortly after competitions in Japan, he fired DiGuglielmo and Scali so that Alice could move to Colorado Springs and train under a different group of coaches (Kristi Yamaguchi, Drew Meekins, and Victor Pfeifer).
This turn in the coaching staff was part of Arthur’s active management style, which included numerous changes over the years. Both coaches, DiGuglielmo and Scali, mentioned that they were let go «once in person and a second time via text» during periods when Arthur was making decisions about coaching.
Since her return in the 2024−25 season and in preparation for the 2026 Olympic Games, Alice Liu has reunited and continues to work with Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali. She decided to reconnect with them when she returned to competitive figure skating under her own guidance, rather than leaving coaching decisions solely to her father
Learn more about Liu’s coaches and their working relationship below.
Alice began collaborating with Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali in 2020 when her father replaced her longtime coach, Laura Lipetska, with this pair as part of a broader coaching change. Scali had already been part of her team since 2019, and DiGuglielmo joined the coaching staff at the same time.
After Liu paused her career in 2022, she returned to training with DiGuglielmo and Scali in 2024 when she decided to return to competition on her own terms.
Liu’s father, Arthur Liu, made decisions about her coaches for much of her early career. In 2021, shortly after competitions in Japan, he fired DiGuglielmo and Scali so that Alice could move to Colorado Springs and train under a different group of coaches (Kristi Yamaguchi, Drew Meekins, and Victor Pfeifer).
This turn in the coaching staff was part of Arthur’s active management style, which included numerous changes over the years. Both coaches, DiGuglielmo and Scali, mentioned that they were let go «once in person and a second time via text» during periods when Arthur was making decisions about coaching.
Since her return in the 2024−25 season and in preparation for the 2026 Olympic Games, Alice Liu has reunited and continues to work with Phillip DiGuglielmo and Massimo Scali. She decided to reconnect with them when she returned to competitive figure skating under her own guidance, rather than leaving coaching decisions solely to her father
© Smirnova Olga
