A Spanish figure skater dressed as Minions reflects on the dispute over music rights and “how far I’ve come.”

The Minions came to the Winter Olympics 2026 after a dispute over music rights almost forced Spanish figure skater Tomás-Llorenc Guarino Sabate to change his plans.

Sabate donned his yellow and blue suit and brought the Minions’ mischievous spirit to Milan in Tuesday’s men’s short program.

“It felt amazing” despite nerves and an early mistake, Sabate said after his performance to a soundtrack that begins with laughter from the lovable child characters, who were introduced as criminal mastermind Gru’s henchmen in “Despicable Me.”

Although the 26-year-old placed 25th out of 29 skaters, falling one spot short of qualifying for Friday’s free skate, the Spaniard says he’s grateful for the support. In dozens of Instagram Stories, Sabate shared messages she received from around the world, including former U.S. Olympic figure skater. Adam Rippon who posted a photo of himself wearing Minion socks.

Sabate said the Minions are a way to express himself “although I’m a little shy at first,” and the dispute has shown how much support he really has.

Sabate had been hosting the fan-favorite show all season, thinking he already had the proper approval. Everything suddenly changed last week when he revealed that he had been told he couldn’t use the music.

“When I wrote my post I was sure I wouldn’t do Minions,” he said Tuesday. “That’s why I made the post, as a way to warn people, those who are waiting for the Minions at the Olympics: ‘Sorry, but don’t do it, unfortunately that’s not going to happen.’ I can’t expose myself to being sued.”

He was stunned by the outpouring of support on social media as he tried to persuade the likes of Universal Studios and musicians and producers. Pharrell Williams to give him the rights to skate to a medley of music related to the Minions, who have since appeared in several “Despicable Me” sequels and their own spin-offs. He final approval It arrived until Friday.

The rights to the Minions character belong to Universal Studios, which is part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. NBC, which broadcasts the Olympics, is also part of NBCUniversal.

“I didn’t realize the reach my skating had even outside of the figure skating world, and it helped me realize how far I’ve come, how far my skating has taken me,” she said.

Only after the Olympic Games will we understand to what extent.

“I haven’t really had time to take it all in and appreciate it all,” he said.

The International Skating Union began allowing vocal music in 2014. More and more skaters have chosen more modern songs for their routines since the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, but this has also led to other skaters facing similar problems.

Petr Gumennik of Russia, competing as neutral athleteHe had to change the music of his short program due to a last minute rights issue. He dropped the music from “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer,” a psychological thriller, and replaced it with a song from a Russian romantic epic. Even the United States champion Amber Glenn He had a copyright problem with a Canadian artist.

What’s next for Sabaté? He has been responding to many messages from fans. More are likely on the way.

“I want to be the kind of person who responds to his fans,” he said. “They take the time to write to you and I want to take the time to respond.”

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.