Valentina Petrillo: Transgender Paralympian runs in women's T12 400m semi-final
2 September 2024, 14:20 | Updated: 2 September 2024, 21:47
A transgender athlete, who previously won 11 men's national titles, has run in the semi-finals of the women's T12 400m event at the Paralympics - but failed to make the final.
Visually impaired Italian Valentina Petrillo finished second in her heat in Paris but progressed to Monday's semi-final as the sixth-fastest runner in a time of 58.35 seconds.
Naples-born Petrillo, 51, who transitioned in 2019, is believed to be one of the first openly transgender Paralympians.
At 14, she was diagnosed with Stargardt disease - a retinal condition that causes a progressive loss of vision.
Ms Petrillo initially gave up running but has been competing in Para sport since she was 41.
Ms Petrillo collected bronze medals in the 200m and 400m world championship races in 2023 with times of 26.31 and 58.24 seconds respectively.
She said: "From today I don't want to hear anything more about discrimination, prejudices against transgender people.
"There are lots of people dying only for being trans, people are killed because they are trans, people commit suicide because they are trans and lose their jobs, or (they are) are not included in sport. But I made it. If I can make it, everyone can make it."
She previously expressed hope of receiving "love" in France, while saying it was "only fair" she was allowed to compete.
"The atmosphere in the stadium is great, it's just a dream come true," Petrillo added.
"We are here finally, it's 2 September 2024, let's sign this historical date (in our diary).
"I thought about Paris from the day I knew I was not making it to Tokyo (Paralympics), on 1 August 2021 - the most amazing day for Italian athletics, when Jacobs (Lamont Marcell, 100 metres) and Tamberi (Gianmarco, long jump) won gold.
"And I am here now. Finally, I made it."
Read more:
All you need to know about the Paralympics
Opening ceremony in pictures
Record-breaking gold medal haul for ParalympicsGB
Currently, there is no unified position towards transgender inclusion, with the International Paralympic Committee allowing international sports governing bodies to set their own policies.
Under World Para Athletics' rules, an athlete who is legally recognised as a woman is eligible to compete in the category for which their impairment qualifies them.
World Athletics has banned transgender women who have been through male puberty from competing in the female category at international events.
Dutch transgender athlete Ingrid van Kranen, who died in 2021, finished ninth in the women's discus final at the Rio 2016 Paralympics.
(c) Sky News 2024: Valentina Petrillo: Transgender Paralympian runs in women's T12 400m semi-final
