Spanish Skater Gets Green Light to Perform Minions Routine at Winter Olympics

Spanish figure skater Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate has been cleared to use his Minions music at the Winter Olympics after days of legal negotiations and a massive online campaign from fans. The 26-year-old had faced the prospect of scrapping his routine due to copyright issues, but the problem’s now been sorted.

Sabate has spent the entire 2025-26 season performing to music from the Minions films while dressed in a yellow T-shirt and blue overalls to match the characters. The routine has made him a fan favourite at competitions around the world, including at the European Championships, where he finished 18th but won over the crowd.

However, Olympic organisers initially blocked the music because of licensing problems. Sabate said he’d followed all the correct procedures and submitted everything through the International Skating Union’s system back in August, but clearance still hadn’t come through.

Negotiations With Williams Went Smoothly

The final sticking point was getting permission from Pharrell Williams, who sang Happy – one of the tracks Sabate uses from Despicable Me 2. Those negotiations wrapped up on Thursday night after an earlier agreement had been reached with Universal Pictures.

Fans rallied behind Sabate on social media using the hashtag #lettheminionskate, and he credited that support with keeping him motivated through what he described as a difficult process. He announced the news on Instagram, saying he was deeply moved by the response from people around the world.

Sabate, a six-time Spanish champion, will make his Olympic debut on Friday, 13 February at Milano Ice Skating Arena. His short programme will feature the Minions music, while his free skate uses a mix of Bee Gees tracks.