Spanish figure skater Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté might not speak Minion, but if he did, he might have plenty to say.
With only days before the start of competition at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, Guarino Sabaté was informed that, because of copyright issues, he will not be able to perform his routines to the Minions music mix he has been using throughout the 2025-26 season. He has also done his routines in an outfit reminiscent of the movie characters: a yellow T-shirt and blue overalls.
Universal Pictures, which owns the subsidiary Illumination, which in turn owns the Minions franchise, told Guarino Sabaté he cannot use the music. In an Instagram post, the skater said he “followed all due procedures and submitted my music through the ISU ClicknClear system in August, and competed with this program for the entire season.”
However, Guarino Sabaté was told Friday — one week before the start of the skating competition — that he did not have permission.
“Finding out about this last Friday, so close to the most important competition of my life, was incredibly disappointing,” Guarino Sabaté posted. “Nevertheless, I will face this challenge head on and do my best to make the best of it.
“To my fans: I wish I had better news, but I am deeply grateful for your support this season. I promise to go out on the ice giving everything I’ve got and present shows that both you and I can be proud of.”
Guarino Sabaté, who has won the Spanish national championship six times, has only a few days to find new music and sync it to the two routines — short program and free skate — that he will do at the Olympics.
In a statement, the International Skating Union said: “Copyright clearances can represent a challenge for all artistic sports. While the ISU does not have a contractual relationship with ClicknClear, we continue to work collaboratively with rights clearance stakeholders to ensure that thrilling performances can be accompanied by stirring music.”
The ISU said it was looking into the situation.
ClicknClear is a “music rights tech company delivering officially licensed music to choreographed sports athletes/teams and performing arts ensembles that use music in their routines worldwide,” according to its website.
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