Italy’s Valentina Petrillo is set to become the first openly trans athlete to compete in the Paralympic Games.
The 50-year-old visually impaired sprinter will represent Italy in the women’s 200m and 400m races in Paris.
Petrillo transitioned from being a male in 2019 and has since won bronze medals in both events at the World Para Athletics Championships.
“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 in a statement. “I will only start thinking about the Paris Games once I arrive in France.”
Prior to transitioning, Petrillo won 11 national titles in the men’s category. International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons welcomes Petrillo’s participation but calls for unified policies for trans athletes in sports.
World Para Athletics permits individuals legally recognized as women to compete in the category for which their impairment qualifies them.
However, critics argue that trans athletes have an unfair advantage due to physiological differences between the sexes.
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