Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté from Spain called the discovery “incredibly disappointing,” but vowed to “face this challenge head-on.”

Figure skater’s routine disrupted by Minions music ban just days before Olympics

Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté from Spain called the discovery "incredibly disappointing," but vowed to "face this challenge head-on."

By Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

EW's editorial guidelines

February 2, 2026 4:59 p.m. ET

Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté of Spain, in a Minion-themed outfit, competes in the Men's Short Program during the ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2026 at Utilita Arena Sheffield in Sheffield, United Kingdom, on Jan. 15, 2026. Credit:

Yuan Tian/NurPhoto via Getty

- Spanish figure skater Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté revealed on Monday that he has been barred for copyright reasons from performing to a *Minions*-themed song at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

- "Finding this out last Friday, so close to the biggest competition of my life, was incredibly disappointing," Sabaté explained, but vowed to 'face this challenge head-on.'

- Sabaté's whimsical routine, which he has competed with prior to qualifying for the Olympics, is set to the song "Papaya (Vaya Papayas)" by Juan Alcaraz, which references and samples the characters from the *Despicable Me *franchise.

Hopefully he can Gru from this.

Spanish figure skater Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté, who is just days away from competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, has shared some devastating news regarding his planned routine.

"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," Sabaté stated in a text post shared to his Instagram story on Sunday.

Though Sabaté claimed he "followed all required procedures and submitted my music" the proper way, on top of competing "with this program throughout the entire season," he was informed that he is "no longer permitted to use this program due to copyright clearance issues."

Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté competing in the Men's Short Program during the ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2026.

Yuan Tian/NurPhoto via Getty

"Finding this out last Friday, so close to the biggest competition of my life, was incredibly disappointing," Sabaté explained. "Nevertheless, I will face this challenge head-on and do everything I can to make the best of the situation."

To conclude the lengthy post, Sabaté professed being "grateful beyond words" for the love and support fans have shown his quirky routine throughout the season. "I promise to step on the ice with everything I have and deliver programs that both you and I can be proud of," he said.

Skier Lindsey Vonn airlifted after crashing in final downhill before 2026 Olympics

U.S. Olympic ice dancers break silence after leaked video shows Alex Shibutani berating sister Maia

Sabaté's *Minions*-inspired routine has garnered a good deal of attention online for its whimsy and theatricality. Dressed in an ensemble that resembles the beloved *Despicable Me *franchise characters' uniforms of denim overalls slung over their jellybean-shaped yellow bodies, Sabaté wiggles and jives across the ice to a thumping beat that interpolates the sounds of muttering minions.

The song Sabaté set the routine to is called "Papaya (Vaya Papayas)" by the artist Juan Alcaraz. The beat-forward song consists of scant lyrics sung in Minion voices about pears, bananas, and papayas. Alcaraz and "The Minions" share artist, writing, arranging, production, and engineering credits on the song.

The *Despicable Me *franchise concerns a supervillain named Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) who uses his cunning to fight other baddies with the help of his army of lackies, called Minions. The franchise now consists of seven films, three of them centered on the Minions. Universal Pictures produces the franchise through Illumination.

Alcaraz's song appears to not have acquired the official blessing of Universal to incorporate elements of the *Despicable Me *films.

** did not immediately hear back from representatives for Universal and the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté's Instagram Story.

Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate/Instagram

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, held across the Lombardy region of northeast Italy, will run from Feb 6-22. The first three figure skating events take place on opening day.**

- Entertainment Lifestyle

- Sports Events

- Olympic Games

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Olympic”