At 51, Italian Valentina Petrillo has made history as the first trans athlete to qualify for the Paralympics 400m women’s semi-final. Competing in Paris on Monday, Petrillo, a father-of-two who previously won 11 national men’s titles and was still competing as a male at 45, finished second in her heat. Notably, she outpaced a Chinese runner who is 18 years younger.
World Para Athletics (WPA) has confirmed that Petrillo’s testosterone levels, following her transition, meet the requirements for competition. Unlike her Venezuelan and Chinese competitors in the T12 heat for visually impaired athletes, who needed guides, Petrillo ran unaided.
Visually impaired athletes commonly use guides to navigate the track safely, and some may wear blindfolds to ensure fairness, depending on the degree of their visual impairment. However, as in the case of Valentina Petrillo, some athletes are permitted to run without a guide or blindfold.
Concerns have been raised among female athletes about Petrillo’s participation, with some arguing that she has a distinct advantage. Petrillo is the first transgender athlete to compete on the track at the Paralympics since a Dutch athlete in 2016.
