MILAN — Who knew the Minions – the comedic, yellow creature always engaged in shenanigans in the "Despicable Me” franchise – would be such a hot topic at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
One of the several unusual storylines from Milano Cortina centers around Spanish skater Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté. His short program is inspired by the Minions, using music from the 2015 animated movie, all while dressed like one of Gru’s chaotic henchmen.
It was expected to be a crowd favorite at the Olympics, but it was in jeopardy of not being performed due to music copyright issues. Sabaté publicly said on Monday, Feb. 2 the music wasn’t cleared to be used, just over one week before he was scheduled to perform.
The news drew outrage from the figure skating world, but also from skaters themselves, all who felt like they were being robbed of a must-see performance.
“I told people they were gonna see the minions of the Olympics, and I don't want to be a liar,” U.S. figure skater Amber Glenn said.
