Spanish federation has released a statement of thanks from Guarino Sabate:
Also on Insta:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DUaU66MDV2f/?img_index=2
More details are in Hielo Espanol's article:
Five days of suffering are over: Tomás Guarino will be able to skate The Minions (Feb. 6, 2026):
www.hieloespanol.es
Auto-translation:
Madrid, February 6, 2026 - The so-called 'Minionsgate' incident, the first viral story of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, lasted just five days. Early Monday morning, Tomás Guarino (26 years old), the Spanish representative in the men's singles figure skating event, announced on his Instagram profile that he would not be able to compete in Milan with his Minions-themed short program because Universal, the company that owns a large part of the rights to the music, had denied him permission to use it, even though he had been using the music without issue throughout the season. He was informed of this just a week before his competition. He will now compete next Tuesday.
This announcement sparked a global outcry, both in the press and on social media, denouncing the injustice of the situation. Guarino's story was covered by major media outlets such as The New York Times, Variety, CNN, the BBC, and NBC's Today Show. The enormous public pressure, combined with efforts from various sectors, helped Universal Pictures reverse its decision last Tuesday (the following day).
ClicknClear, the rights management platform used by the International Skating Union (ISU), informed Guarino that Universal Music Publishing and Universal Pictures had granted approval (on very favorable terms) for the two disputed musical pieces (“Universal Fanfare” and “Vicious Funk”), as well as for the costume. The Catalan skater posted an Instagram story, which he later deleted, announcing the news. This announcement was mistakenly interpreted by many media outlets as the final resolution of the case, but this was not the case. The rights to the other two pieces of music included in the routine, whose authorization had not been denied but was still pending—the “Papaya Minions” remix and Pharrell Williams’ “Freedom”—remained to be secured.
It's important to mention that, in these complex negotiations, Guarino had the help of ClicknClear founder Chantal Epp, who became personally involved in the case. He was also advised by the Spanish Ice Sports Federation (FEDH) and by various individuals, including Pedro Lamelas, director of HIELO ESPAÑOL.
It was discovered that the “Papaya Minions” mix was incorrectly referenced, which is why it wasn't found in the database . The track actually used is “Banana Bounce” by Spanish DJ and producer Juan Alcaraz, who, upon learning of the situation, immediately relinquished the rights and was very cooperative. “Art knows no rights,” he stated on his social media. The final hurdle was the composition by Pharrell Williams, whose authorization took the longest to secure. The agreement for the rights to “Freedom” was reached by Sony Music early this morning, Friday, after negotiations took place in the early hours of the morning in Spain with the city of Los Angeles (United States).
Shortly before 7:00 this morning, Chantal Epp informed Tomás Guarino that she had secured the rights to the four songs used in her program. These rights had been granted for a period of one year, meaning he will be able to skate her "Minions" routine at both the Olympic Games and the World Championships.
“I am very happy to announce that we have done it: we have obtained the licenses for all four songs and I will be able to skate the Minions at the Olympic Games. It has not been an easy process, but the support of everyone who has followed my case has been key to keeping me encouraged and optimistic all these days,” he declared this morning in a joint statement with the Spanish Federation.
A SYSTEM THAT URGENTLY NEEDS MODIFICATION
The situation of Tomás Guarino, who has endured five truly difficult days, highlights the flaws in the rights purchase system that the ISU implemented a couple of seasons ago . The Canadian ice dance pair Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac, and the Belgian singles skater Loena Hendrickx, had to change the music for their short programs for the same reason.
Why does this happen? Because responses to rights requests submitted by skaters through ClicknClear often take a long time to arrive, and the absence of a response, whether positive or negative, has no legal standing. The most difficult right to obtain is synchronization rights—the ability to skate in time with the music—as this must be negotiated directly with the composer or their publisher.
The International Skating Union attributes this situation to the music industry's lack of a common licensing platform for the various categories of rights required. It states that it is working toward a rational solution, but the skating community remains skeptical.
The enormous impact of Tomás Guarino's case has transformed into a wave of sympathy, making his program one of the most anticipated in the men's short film competition at the Olympic Games, which will take place on Tuesday starting at 6:30 p.m. It is presumed that Tomás Guarino will compete in the first group.
Skaters from all over the world showed their support. One of the most enthusiastic was American Amber Glenn, a podium contender in the women's category, who confessed during a press conference that she had followed this "Minions saga" with great interest and was certain she would succeed.
“Now I just want to give my all on the ice and put on a program worthy of the love I’ve received from everyone. I’m thrilled by the love that a little skater from a small federation has received,” he said.
The opening ceremony will take place at 8:00 PM this evening, and can be followed from Spain on Teledeporte and Eurosport1.
ETA - re. this article excerpt:
It was discovered that the “Papaya Minions” mix was incorrectly referenced, which is why it wasn't found in the database . The track actually used is “Banana Bounce” by Spanish DJ and producer Juan Alcaraz, who, upon learning of the situation, immediately relinquished the rights and was very cooperative. “Art knows no rights,” he stated on his social media.
From Tuesday:
Within the past hour:
https://x.com/rockerskating/status/2018801762988433557
"Latest update: they got 3 of 4 cuts cleared - perhaps the trickier one of the final two was the banana remix. Tomi was on the phone with the artist and he said the artist was so nice. He wrote on instagram “el arte no entiende de derechos” (art knows no rules)"
ETA - Guarino re-posted an Instagram story of Juan Alcaraz's - he's credited with "Minions Bounce (Original Mix)"
