Spanish figure skater Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté has announced that he will not be able to perform his Minions short program at the 2026 Winter Olympics due to a copyright issue. The 26-year-old shared his announcement on the eve of the Milan-Cortina Games.
Sabaté was chosen to represent Spain at the 2026 Winter Olympics after winning his sixth consecutive national title at the 2026 Spanish Championships. He performed a short program featuring the song “Papaya (Minions Remix).”
Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté Suffers Blow Ahead of Winter Olympics
Just days before the 2026 Winter Olympics get underway, Guarino Sabaté has suffered a blow to his hopes of winning the event. Ahead of what will be his Olympic debut, the figure skater shared an update on his Instagram story about his short program.
“This season, I competed with my Minions short program to bring joy and a playful side to the ice while still meeting every required element to show that skating as a male Olympic figure skater can be fun,” he 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,” he added.
“Finding this out last Friday, so close to the biggest competition of my life, was incredibly disappointing,” he further wrote.
Despite the disappointment, Guarino Sabaté vowed to face the challenge “head-on” and shared his determination to deliver a short program that his fans can be proud of.
In addition to the Minions short program, he has performed his free skate program to a medley of Bee Gees songs this season. He hopes to establish a new routine before the Winter Olympics get underway on Friday, Feb. 6.
Figure Skating Schedule at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Figure skating is one of the most popular sports at the Winter Olympics, and events will be held at the Milano Ice Skating Arena. The sport will have a packed schedule, starting from Feb. 6 through Feb. 19.
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The team event will dominate proceedings from Feb. 6 to 8, before the men’s short program gets underway on Feb. 10. The men’s free skate is scheduled for Feb. 13.
That will be followed by the pairs’ short program and free skating on Feb. 15 and 16, after which the women’s short program (Feb. 17) and free skate (Feb. 19) will take center stage. You can get the detailed schedule for the 2026 Winter Olympics here.
