Daniel MIHAILESCU / AFP via Getty Images
The Winter Olympics don’t officially kick off until Friday, but there’s already been some controversy courtesy of a Spanish figure skater who said he’d been blocked from performing his Minions-themed routine on the world’s biggest stage. Thankfully, it appears reason has prevailed after the internet bullied Universal into backing down from the copyright claim that threatened to derail his trip to Italy.
One of the best parts of the Olympics is the fact that some relatively unknown athletes will find themselves thrust into the international spotlight during The Games.
For example, the Paris Olympics produced sensations including the Australian breakdancer known as “Raygun,” the South Korean shooter who captivated the world with her assassin-like aura, and another pistol-wielding competitor from Turkey who won a medal in the most nonchalant manner possible.
Only time will tell who will join their ranks by the time the 2026 Winter Olympics come to an end in Milano Cortina, but we got our first unexpected star before they kicked off in the form of Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté, the figure skater who will be representing Spain in the men’s single competition.
Sabaté was planning on showcasing his Minions-inspired routine before a copyright issue forced him to scramble just days before the Olympics were set to get underway, but it sounds like he’ll be getting the green light to don a yellow shirt and blue suspenders after all.
Spanish figure skater Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté says Universal tentatively granted him permission to do his Minions routine at the Winter Olympics after the internet rallied around him
Plenty of figure skaters draw inspiration from pop culture when it comes to orchestrating their routines.
Sabaté previously garnered some attention for channeling John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever before adopting a new program inspired by the Minions, the infectious yellow creatures who were initially unleashed upon an unsuspecting world when Despicable Me came out in 2010.
The 26-year-old was planning to go that route when he made his Olympic debut this month, but on Monday, he announced Universal had moved to block him from doing so by filing a copyright claim over the music he’d been allowed to use in previous competitions (the studio also reportedly objected to the signature outfit affiliated with the troublemakers who earnd their own film franchise after taking the world by storm and brainwashing every aunt with a Facebook profile).
That did not sit well with many people who’d never heard of Sabaté before his plight came to their attention nonetheless rallied around him after it went viral, and on Tuesday, he revealed the backlash to the decision led to Universal reconsidering its position and granting him permission to get his Minions on at the Winter Olympics.
Sabate isn’t expected to be in serious contention for a medal (Ilia Malinin of the United States is the overwhelming favorite to take home the gold), but at least he’ll be able to have some fun.