Spanish figure skater gets last-minute approval for Minions-themed Olympic program

After all, those mischievous Minions will have their Olympic moment.

Tomás-Llorenc Guarino Sabate got the final approval he needed for his music on Friday, allowing the Spanish figure skater to perform his short program, set to a medley of the animated comedy of the same name from Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment, when the men’s competition begins at Milan’s Cortina Games on Tuesday night.

Sabate had been hosting the fan-favorite show all season, thinking he had the proper approval through a system called ClicknClear to use four Minions music cuts. Last week, Universal Studios asked him to provide more details about the music Sabate was using and the Minions-inspired outfit he had been wearing.

He was able to quickly obtain approval for two musical cuts, and Sabate obtained a third by directly contacting the artist, a fellow Spaniard. The robbery was the song “Freedom” by the American musician and producer. Pharrell Williams.

That approval finally came on Friday, about two hours before the Olympics. The figure skating program was inaugurated. with the team event.

“I am very happy to announce that we have done it! We have obtained the licenses for the four songs and I will be able to skate with the Minions at the Olympic Games,” Sabate wrote on social networks. “It has not been an easy process, but the support of everyone who has followed my case has been key to keeping me motivated and optimistic these last few days.”

At one point, Sabate’s situation had become so dire that he began practicing his Bee Gee-inspired short program from last year. But as news of his plight broke and he began to get approval for some of the music, his hopes of performing Minions began to grow.

He even practiced the show, which begins with characters laughing, during an early Thursday session. The next morning, the Royal Spanish Ice Sports Federation announced that the copyright issue had been resolved.

“I want to thank ClickClear and the RFEDH, as well as Universal Pictures, Pharrell Williams, Sony Music and Juan Alcaraz for arranging the rights for me in such a short time to be able to present my show in Milan,” said Sabate.

The copyright issue has become a big problem in figure skating, where for years skaters could only use music without lyrics, normally considered part of the public domain. But when the rules changed in 2014 and more modern music began to be used in the competition, some artists began to object to their work being used without proper permission.

Two-time world medalist Loena Hendrickx of Belgium also had copyright issues ahead of the Olympics.

The Belgian had been performing her short program “Ashes” for Celine Dion from the movie “Deadpool 2.” But after last month’s European championships, his brother and coach, Jorik Hendrickx, and choreographer Adam Solya became concerned that the music would not be approved for the Olympics, and decided to change the soundtrack at the last minute.

Hendrickx is now performing a slightly modified program of “I Surrender,” another Dion song, which has the same beat and feel as “Ashes.” He was able to obtain permission for that piece because it is part of ClicknClear’s licensing catalog.

Sabate, 26, is not considered a medal contender at the Olympics; Last year he placed 20th at the world championships. But after last week, he thinks he’ll have plenty of support when he brings in the Minions on Tuesday night.

“Right now I just want to give it my all on the ice and put on a program worthy of the love I’ve received from around the world,” Sabate said. “I am excited by the love that a little skater has received from a small federation.”

The opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics will take place on Friday, but some of the first rounds of competition began two days earlier. Madison Chock and Evan Bates from USA Rock and roll danced its way to a world-best 91.06 points in rhythm dancing to open the team competition at the Olympics on Friday, cheered on by a crowd that included Vice President JD Vance and his family and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The Olympic events will continue until the closing ceremony on February 22, and the Paralympic Games will take place the following month, from March 6 to 15.