RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Richmond native figure skater Ken Mikawa has made local history after qualifying for the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating National Championships. Twenty-two-year-old Mikawa will represent the Richmond Figure Skating Club in the Senior Championship level at the competition. This is t he first time a skater has qualified for Nationals at this division in club history, per a release. Mikawa, also a Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) alum, started skating at four years old through the Learn to Skate program at SkateNation Plus. He earned national recognition after qualifying and competing at the U.S. Nationals in 2013 at the juvenile level. (Credit: Ken Mikawa)(Credit: Ken Mikawa)(Credit: Ken Mikawa) “I’ve grown up on the ice here in Richmond,” said Mikawa. “To be able to represent my hometown at Nationals in the Championship division is an honor. I’m grateful to my coaches, the local skating community, and everyone who’s supported me since I first put on skates. Mikawa will be joined by his coaching team, Lea Rizer and Tracey Solomons-Henn, when he travels to Missouri for the competition and his senior-level debut. The Nationals will take place in St. Louis, Missouri, on Jan. 4-11, 2026, and serve as a final qualifying event before the selection of the U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team that will represent Team USA for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games Milano-Cortina. (Credit: Ken Mikawa)(Credit: Ken Mikawa)(Credit: Ken Mikawa)(Credit: Ken Mikawa) ...read more read less