Alysa Liu has opted to skip the World Figure Skating Championships this year. She dominated the field in 2025, en route to her first Worlds title. The 20-year-old, however, decided to withdraw from the competition this year following her successful stint in the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Liu came home from Italy with two gold medals. She helped lead Team USA to victory in the team competition. The Oakland, California native then went on to bag a second gold in the individual free skate.
Since her historic run in the Winter Games, Liu has emerged as a global superstar. She’s had an extremely busy schedule with major public appearances left and right. By her own admission, her commitments outside figure skating was the reason behind her decision not to take part in the Worlds.
The International Skating Union (ISU) has still honored Liu despite her absence from arguably the biggest annual competition in the sport. In particular, Liu’s coaches have been nominated for the ISU Figure Skating Awards 2026.
The ISU officially announced its decision on the finalists for this year’s awards. Liu is now bracing for some big career news now that her coaches have been shortlisted in multiple categories for their respective roles in Liu’s success in the Olympics.
For starters, Liu’s long-time coach, Phillip DiGuglielmo is one of three finalists for Best Coach. DiGuglielmo has been by Liu’s side for many years. He was her coach even before Liu retired in 2022. They reunited when Liu came back to the sport in 2024, and DiGuglielmo played a pivotal role in Liu’s two Olympics golds.
Apart from DiGuglielmo, another member of Liu’s team has been nominated for a major award. Massimo Scali is a finalist for Best Choreographer. Scali is up against Benoit Richaud, who coached 16 skaters from 13 countries during the Milan Cortina Games. The third nominee is Shea-Lynn Bourne, who is the choreographer of Ilia Malinin.
The winners will be announced on Sunday, which is the last day of the Worlds. Liu may not be in Prague for the competition, but she will be anticipating some good news.
