Figure skater who performs to Minions music won't get Olympic chance due to copyright issues

Figure skater who performs to Minions music won't get Olympic chance due to copyright issues originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

One of the most anticipated routines in figure skating won't have a spot at the Olympics.

Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate, the Spanish skater, has spent most of the past year doing a performance to the Minions music from the Despicable Me movie franchise.

Copyrighting issues will prevent that from being allowed at the Olympics this month in Italy.

Essentially, there were a number of songs that couldn't get licensing clearance before the Olympics, and this was one of them.

You can watch the performance in this post on X:

guys i have awful news, the figure skater who skates to a minions song in his short program won’t be able to skate to minions at the olympics because of licensing pic.twitter.com/xUJ0gIKXSSpic.twitter.com/EP5NvMoG2v

— alex (@alex_abads) February 2, 2026

Tomas also shared a message on his Instagram about the news.

"This season I competed with my Minions short program to bring joy and a playful style to the ice while still meeting every required element to show that skating as a male Olympic figure skater can be fun," he wrote.

"... Unfortunately, just days before the Olympic inauguration, I was informed that I am no longer permitted to use this program due to copyright clearance issues," he continued. "Finding this out last Friday, so close to the biggest competition of my life, was incredibly disappointing. Nevertheless, I will face this challenge head-on and do everything I can to make the best of the situation."

This is such a huge problem! He got his Olympic spot last March. And competed ALL SEASON to this program. Why was he only told a week before the Olympics that he can’t use it? What’s happening? This is outrageous and so unfair to the athletes. https://t.co/FXNz4wr53r

— Meagan Duhamel (@mhjd_85) February 2, 2026

Not only are fans deprived of the great routine. The Spanish skater only learned of the news shortly before the Olympics got underway, which greatly impacts his chances of competing well.

It's a bummer for all involved, and a shame the music licensing issues didn't come together more smoothly.

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