Italian sprinter Valentina Petrillo, who became the first openly transgender athlete to compete in the Paralympic Games, will not be competing for a medal in the women's 400m T12 race after finishing third in Monday's semi-final.
He 50-year-old athlete, who began her transition in 2019, qualified for the semi-final with a time of 58.35 in the first round.
Italy's Valentina Petrillo prepares to compete in the first round of the women's 400m T12 at the Stade de France Stadium during the 2024 Paralympic Games, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Jackson Ranger)
Petrillo finished second in the unguided series.
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Petrillo advanced to the semi-finals, where she finished with a personal best of 57.58, but it was not enough to qualify for Tuesday's final. The Italian finished third, behind Hajar Safarzadeh Ghahderijani of Iran and Alejandra Paola Perez Lopez of Venezuela.
Petrillo was diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease known as Stargardt disease as a teenager. While competing as a man, Petrillo won 11 national titles in the men's T12 category between 2015 and 2018 before eventually making the transition.
Italy's Valentina Petrillo competes in the first round of the women's 400m T12 at the Stade de France stadium during the 2024 Paralympic Games, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Jackson Ranger)
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“I started my transition in 2019 and in 2020 I made my dream come true, which was to compete in the women’s category, to do the sport that I had always liked,” Petrillo told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “I turned 50 before it became a reality… we all have the right to a second choice in life, a second chance.”
While World athletics is banned While it bars trans athletes from competing in women’s events if they transitioned after puberty in the past year, World Para Athletics still allows transgender athletes to participate as long as they declare that their gender identity for sporting purposes is female and provide evidence that their testosterone levels have been below 10 nanomoles per litre of blood for at least 12 months prior to their first competition.
Italy's Valentina Petrillo reacts as she prepares to compete in the first round of the women's 400m T12 at the Stade de France Stadium during the 2024 Paralympic Games, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Jackson Ranger)
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Petrillo could still win an Olympic medal in the women's 200m T12. The first round begins on Friday and the final is scheduled for Saturday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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