Copyright law nearly got in the way of whimsy, as a Spanish figure skater’s planned routine for the 2026 Olympics was in jeopardy. Why? The music his routine uses couldn’t be cleared for the event. The song in question? “Papaya” by the Minions.
Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté, a 26-year-old ice skater who has won many a gold medal across his career, has been performing a routine set to the Minions song throughout the competitive season leading up to the Winter Olympic Games, which are set to begin on Friday, February 6, in Italy. However, in an Instagram story posted yesterday, Guarino Sabaté revealed that he would not be able to do this routine, which has him dressed in blue overalls and a bright yellow shirt, because Universal Pictures refused to clear the song for the televised event.
“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,” Guarino Sabaté wrote. “I followed all required procedures and submitted my music through the ISU ClicknClear system back in August, and I competed with this program throughout the entire season. 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.
“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.”
A music rights clearance issue means we will all be robbed of seeing this at the Olympics:
pic.twitter.com/tgBhpCG13i https://t.co/Hn09Kqmphq— Josh Billinson (@jbillinson) February 2, 2026
You can see a short clip from the routine above, and while, yes, there’s some impressive figure-skating athleticism on display here, there are also some silly dance moves in the mix as well. It would have been a shame if a company as big as Universal got in the way of Guarino Sabaté doing this on one of the world’s biggest stages. Luckily, it seems like he’ll be able to perform the short program at the event after an outpouring of public support got the company to reconsider.
“Huge THANK YOU to everyone who reposted, shared, and supported,” Guarino Sabaté wrote in a follow-up story. “Because of you, Universal studios reconsidered and officially granted the rights for this one special occasion. I’m so happy to see that the minions hitting Olympic ice is becoming real again!!”
Bullying works, I suppose. Never thought I’d be hooting and hollering for a piece of obnoxious Minions music to appear at the Olympics, but I hate to see big business keeping a whimsical king down.
