The Minions take to the Olympic ice: Spanish skater Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate close to approving the music

MILAN (AP) — It looks like those trouble-making Minions will take to the Olympic ice after all.

Spanish skater Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate said after Thursday’s practice that he had received the necessary approval for three of the four pieces of music he needs to perform his short program. The only piece missing from his medley is Pharrell Williams’ “Freedom,” and the American musician and producer was sympathetic to his plight.

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“They’re discussing it,” Sabate told The Associated Press and some other reporters. “He seems to be fine, but there are problems because he is limited by his label. A lot of technical things. But they are working to make it happen.”

Sabate was optimistic enough to practice his Minions-themed routine shortly after 7 a.m. local time inside a nearly empty Milan ice skating arena. The program opens with the laughter of the characters before moving on to the music of the film saga.

Sabate had been running the program all season, believing he had followed proper protocols in a system called ClicknClear to obtain the necessary clearances. But then on Friday, Universal Studios stepped in, demanding more details not only on the music used but also on the blue and yellow Minions-themed outfit Sabate plans to wear.

Suddenly, the possibility of performing the Minions became so desperate that Sabate began rehearsing last year’s program, set to music by the Bee Gees. The big problem with that plan: He used the same music for his free skate this season.

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“Then people started sharing, reposting, sending me so much support and love,” Sabate said. “The next thing I know, I wake up on Tuesday with I don’t know how many messages… And I think Tuesday night I got a message from people telling me that Universal had changed their mind and you have the rights to the first two pieces of music.”

One of the two remaining pieces turned out to be by a Spanish artist, so Sabate reached out to him on social media. They spoke on the phone and he was able to get approval. That left only Pharrell Williams’ part in question.

The copyright issue is relatively new in figure skating. For years, music using lyrics was not allowed, and classical music and other standard genres were part of the public domain, meaning they could be used or modified freely and without permission.

That changed in 2014, when the International Skating Union began allowing speech. Fast forward to the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and one of the independent artists who covered “House of the Rising Sun” objected to the use of his work by American pair skaters Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier. The ensuing lawsuit pushed the ISU to develop systems to help skaters obtain the proper permits.

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The process remains confusing and full of pitfalls.

Sabate, in fact, is not the only one at the Milan Cortina Olympics to be affected.

Two-time world medalist Loena Hendrickx of Belgium performed her short set to Celine Dion’s “Ashes” from the film “Deadpool 2.” But after last month’s European championships, his brother and coach, Jorik Hendrickx, and choreographer Adam Solya became concerned that the music would not be approved for the Olympics, forcing them to change course.

Hendrickx is now performing what is largely the same program as “I Surrender,” another Dion song, which has the same vibe as “Ashes.” She was able to get permission for that piece because it is part of ClicknClear’s licensing catalog.

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Other skaters have also had to make small changes to their Olympic programs in recent weeks.

“We don’t want athletes to worry about music,” ISU President Jae Youl Kim recently told the AP. “It’s really complicated because sometimes a piece of music is owned by 16 different individuals and entities, different rights holders. So we’re actually taking a different approach. We’re talking directly to the major music labels: ‘Guys, these are young skaters. How can we find a solution that works for everyone?’ We are still in discussion. But this is something we are very serious about.”

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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics