“Finding this so close to the most important competition of my life was incredibly disappointing. » Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté promises that he will recover and will be at the start of the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. The six-time Spanish figure skating champion was forced to change his entire short program due to a copyright dispute.
The 26-year-old skater learned at the end of last week that his music from the animated saga “Minions” was not authorized for the competition. The one who is preparing to participate in his first Games had nevertheless been using this piece for several months, and had carried out the correct procedures with the International Skating Union (ISU).
Unable to create another number
In mid-January, Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté even appeared in yellow and blue outfit, like that of the “Minions”, during the European Championships in Sheffield, which served as a major dress rehearsal before the Winter Olympics. Without knowing the reasons for the dispute with Illumination, the production company of the saga, the Barcelona athlete will have to review his copy that he has been preparing since the start of the season.
“I promise to give my best on the ice and put together programs that you and I can be proud of,” he wrote on social media. The 26-year-old now has several options: change the music and keep the same choreography, or cover one of his old numbers. Refining a number taking several weeks or even months, it is inconceivable to see Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté with a new short program.
This is not the first time that this type of obstacle has affected figure skating at the Olympic Games. If only for the 2026 edition, Canadian ice dancers Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac learned at the end of last year that two Prince songs, planned for their rhythm dance program, would not be authorized for the Olympic Games either. They still had several months to recover…
