Italy has made history by selecting Valentina Petrillo for Paris 2024, who will become the first openly transgender athlete to compete at the Paralympics.
Petrillo is legally recognised as a woman, and is eligible to compete under World Para Athletics’ rules after she had a gender transitioning process five years ago.
She will compete in the women’s T12 200m and 400m races with the visually impaired sprinter looking to clinch a medal after her bronze at the World Para Athletics Championships in 2023.
Petrillo, 50, has previously said she knew she was a woman from as young as nine and feels her inclusion at Paris 2024 is an ‘important symbol’ for trans women ahead of the Paralympic Games starting on August 28.
‘I have been waiting for this day for three years and in these past three years I have done everything possible to earn it,’ Petrillo told the BBC.
‘I deserve this selection and I want to thank the Italian Paralympic Federation and the Italian Paralympic Committee for having always believed in me, above all as a person as well as an athlete.
‘The historic value of being the first transgender woman to compete at the Paralympics is an important symbol of inclusion.’
Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic Committee, wants sporting bodies around the world to unite over the participation of trans athletes.
Trans athletes who are legally recognised as women are eligible to compete in female disciplines under the rules and regulations of World Para Athletics.
But the same is not true for other sporting bodies, meaning trans women such as Petrillo are simply not allowed to compete and are often excluded.
World Athletics, for example, banned transgender athletes from competing in women’s events last year to ensure ‘fairness’ and ‘protect the female category’.
‘I am prepared for the criticism,’ International Paralympic Committee president Parsons told the BBC when asked about allowing Petrillo to compete in Paris.
‘World Para Athletics rules allow her [Petrillo] to compete, so she will be welcomed as any other athlete.
‘I think it is just fair that we treat [transgender athletes] respectfully. But I do think science should give us the answer, because we also want to be fair with the other athletes in the field of play. It is a very difficult question.
‘And science hopefully will be able to give us the answer. And what I would like to see in the future is that the whole of sport has a united position on it.’
Petrillo’s inclusion at the Paralympics follows the row that kicked off during the Olympic boxing after Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting were allowed to participate.
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