Athletics

Italy’s Valentina Petrillo to become first openly transgender athlete at Paralympics

The 50-year-old sprinter transitioned in 2019

Italy's Valentina Petrillo won bronze in the 200m and 400m events at the Para Athletics World Championships in Paris last year. Photograph: Matthias Hangst/Getty
Italy's Valentina Petrillo won bronze in the 200m and 400m events at the Para Athletics World Championships in Paris last year. Photograph: Matthias Hangst/Getty
Tue Aug 13 2024 - 16:19

Valentina Petrillo is set to become the first openly transgender athlete to participate in the Paralympic Games after the visually impaired sprinter was selected to represent Italy in the women’s 200m and 400m events in Paris.

The 50-year-old, who transitioned in 2019, won bronze medals in both events at the World Para Athletics Championships last year in the French capital. Before transitioning, Petrillo won 11 national titles in the men’s category.

“I still find it hard to believe it and I’m keeping my feet on the ground because my chance to participate in Tokyo was missed by a whisker,” Petrillo said. “I will only start thinking about the Paris Games once I arrive in France.”

Diagnosed with Stargardt disease at 14, Petrillo’s visual abilities are limited to 1/50th of the normal range.

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Andrew Parsons, the president of the International Paralympic Committee, told BBC Sport that while Petrillo is welcome in Paris under World Para Athletics policies, he wants to see the sporting world unite on its transgender policies. The governing bodies of many sports including athletics, cycling and swimming have tightened their participation rules for transgender athletes in elite women’s competitions over the past couple of years.

However, the IPC allows governing bodies to set their own policies and World Para Athletics permits an individual legally recognised as a woman to compete.

Critics of transgender inclusion in women’s sport say going through male puberty imbues athletes with a huge musculoskeletal advantage that transition does not mitigate. LGBT+ advocacy groups say excluding trans athletes amounts to discrimination and that not enough research has been done into the effects of transition on athletic performance.

The 2024 Paris Paralympics run from August 28th to September 8th. – Reuters