Spain will have a Minion sliding on the Olympic ice. It is not a last minute signing or a cartoon illusion, but the character … that Tomás Guarino has turned into a hallmark of his season and that, for a few days, has been on the verge of disappearing due to a copyright issue. The skater from Barcelona has finally managed to ensure that the yellow creature that has delighted us on the big screen can be present at the Milano Cortina Games and that his short program retains the soul with which it was conceived.
The shock began at the beginning of the week, when Tomás Guarino received the notification that the Despicable Me music that accompanies his exercise did not have final authorization from the Universal production company. A few days before competing in the Games, he had to redo the choreography and give up the number he had defended throughout the course. “Finding out so close to the most important competition of my life was incredibly disappointing,” he confessed on his social networks.
However, skating fans got to work to get Tomás Guarino to be the Spanish Minion. And they achieved their goal. The skater announced – also through his social networks – that he had reached an agreement with Universal to be able to carry out his program and be in the Milano Cortina Olympic Games. “Thanks to your support, they have reconsidered my case and have given me the rights for this special occasion,” he confessed.
The permission received from the production company includes key melodies such as ‘Universal Fanfare’ and ‘Vicious Funk’, and also the costume that Tomás uses simulating that of a Minion – blue jumpsuit and yellow t-shirt – with which he plays the mischievous character. There are still things to close with other songs, such as ‘Freedom’, by Pharrell Williams, which plays in another section of the performance, and for ‘Papaya’, a remix of Los Minions’ music signed by The Funny Minions.
Hexachampion of Spain
Six-time Spanish champion, Guarino has always defended narrative skating, close to the public and far from classical solemnity. His choice of the Minion responds to that philosophy: showing that an Olympian can also be fun. With that spirit he already competed in the European Championship in Sheffield and with it he wants to debut on February 10 in Italy.
“I am very excited to see that the Minions skating on the ice becomes a reality again,” he celebrated. If nothing goes wrong, when the music plays in Milano Cortina, Spain will not only have a representative: it will have a Minion willing to sneak into the memory of the Games.
