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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Press Association

Paralympics 2024: Transgender athlete Valentina Petrillo qualifies for women’s T12 400m semi-finals

Transgender Italian athlete Valentina Petrillo has qualified for the woman's T12 400m semi-finals at the Paralympics.

Visually-impaired Italian Petrillo previously won 11 national titles in the men's category as a married father of two.

Petrillo finished second in her heat in Paris on Monday but progressed as the sixth fastest runner, in a time of 58.35 seconds.

The 50-year-old, who transitioned in 2019, was initially reported to be the first openly transgender Paralympian.

But Dutch athlete Ingrid van Kranen finished ninth in the women's discus final at the Rio 2016 Games.

Petrillo will run in the semi-finals at Stade de France on Monday evening, with the medal race scheduled for Tuesday.

The International Paralympic Committee allows international sport governing bodies to set their own policies on transgender participation .

There are significant differences between the polices of World Athletics' and World Para Athletics.

World Athletics has banned transgender women from competing in the female category at international events.

Under World Para Athletics' rules, a person who is legally recognised as a woman is eligible to compete in the category their impairment qualifies them for.

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