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Olympic figure skaters will feel the eyes of the world on them when they take to the ice for their programs at the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Games this month, but there is added pressure on their shoulders as the Winter Games approach.
Hit the right notes.
It’s not so much a question of whether the figure skaters will be able to move at the right pace and to the beats blaring through the speakers, but rather whether music will be played.
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Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate of Spain competes in the men’s short program during the 2026 ISU European Figure Skating Championships at the Utilita Arena Sheffield in Sheffield, the United Kingdom, January 15, 2026. (Yuan Tian/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Spanish skater Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate tried to get permission to use music from the film “Minions” because his short program is a medley of four different songs from the franchise. He deleted three of four songs on Wednesday and is working to pass a fourth Pharrell Williams song, according to US champion Amber Glenn.
Guarino Sabate has yet to win an Olympic medal in his career.
Glenn said she told family and friends that there would be “Minions” at the Olympics and that she “didn’t want to be a liar.”
“We tried our best to make it clear, do what we could, and honestly, a producer could just decide, ‘Hey, never mind,’” she said.
“Honestly, I just see, from the avenues that I have, that it’s clear, and then I just hope and pray that I don’t get an email saying, ‘By the way, they reached out and they said they don’t want you to use it.’ So I think it’s been a very arduous process for a lot of us.”
Amber Glenn performs during the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships at the Enterprise Center on January 11, 2026. (Jeff Curry/Imagn Images)
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Glenn skates her short program to Madonna’s “Like A Prayer,” but even if the pop legend objected, she’d consider it a victory.
“If I get a message from Madonna saying she doesn’t want me to skate to her music, I’ll just be happy to get a message from Madonna,” she said. “But let’s hope that doesn’t happen.”
Fellow American star Ilia Malinin said he tries to give his routine a personal touch.
“It’s something that we all care about, and for me in particular, I love creating really unique pieces of music that I skate to,” Malinin said. “I like to contact the artist directly and try that option. Most of the time it works in my favor. Especially this year, everyone was so hopeful and so supportive.”
Ilia Malinin of the United States trains during a figure skating practice session ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, February 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
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Glenn and Malinin skate in singles competitions. Neither competitor has an Olympic medal yet.
