Paris 2024: Paralympics to feature first-ever openly transgender athlete

After 11 national titles in the men's category, Valentina Petrillo will now race in the women's 200m and 400m

The upcoming 2024 Paris Paralympic Games are set to make history as Italian sprinter Valentina Petrillo is set to become the first openly transgender athlete to compete in the event.

Representing Italy, Petrillo will participate in the women's 200 and 400 meters races, etching her name in the history of the Paralympics.

A historic milestone for transgender athletes

Petrillo, a 50-year-old visually impaired sprinter, is poised to break new ground as the first openly transgender athlete at the Paralympic Games.

After transitioning in 2019, Petrillo earned her spot on the Italian team after winning bronze medals in both the 200 and 400 meters at the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris last year.

Before her transition, Petrillo had already achieved notable success, securing 11 national titles in the men's category.

Why is Petrillo allowed to compete in the Paralympics?

While various sports governing bodies, including athletics, cycling, and swimming, have tightened participation rules for transgender athletes in elite women's competitions in recent years, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) allows each sport's governing body to set its own policies.

Under the World Para Athletics policies, an individual legally recognised as a woman is permitted to compete in the category for which their impairment qualifies them.

IPC President Andrew Parsons expressed support for Petrillo's participation, telling BBC Sport, "While Petrillo is welcome in Paris under World Para Athletics policies, I want to see the sporting world unite on its transgender policies.

Petrillo set for historic Paralympics appearance

Despite her historic selection, Petrillo remains grounded. When speaking about her historic achievement, the Italian sprinter told reporters, "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. I will only start thinking about the Paris Games once I arrive in France."

Petrillo was diagnosed with Stargardt's syndrome at the age of 14, a condition that has severely limited her vision to just 1/50th of the normal range.

The 2024 Paris Paralympics are scheduled to run from August 28 to September 8 and will undoubtedly be a landmark event in sports history.