Italy makes history by selecting first openly transgender Paralympian for Paris 2024
Italy has selected the first openly transgender athlete to compete at the Paralympic Games in Paris.
Sprinter Valentina Petrillo, 50, who transitioned in 2019, will compete in the women's T12 classification, for athletes with visual impairments.
Petrillo will run in the T12 200m and 400m and won two bronze medals at the World Para Athletics Championships last year.
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The International Paralympic Committee allows international sport governing bodies to set their own policies, which is in stark contrast to World Athletics' policies.
Valentina Petrillo of Italy at the Para Athletics World Championships Paris 2023. Getty
There is no unified position in sport towards transgender athletes, and Petrillo told the BBC her place in Paris is an "important symbol of inclusion".
Transgender women have been banned from competing in the female category in world athletics to "maintain fairness for female athletes above all other consideration".
However, a person who is legally recognised as a woman is eligible to compete under World Para Athletics' rules.
Petrillo has won medals at both World Para Athletics Championships and National Para Championships since transitioning, and has competed in masters athletics events against non-disabled women.
She told the BBC previously she knew she was a woman from as young as nine.
Petrillo was diagnosed with stargardt disease, a degenerative eye condition at the age of 14.
Petrillo of Italy competes in the Women's 400m T12 Final. Getty
She won 11 national titles in the male T12 category for athletes with visual impairment between 2015 and 2018.
She started living as a woman that year, with her wife's support, and began hormone therapy a year later. Petrillo said she's had to make many sacrifices to be recognised as a woman.
"My metabolism has changed," she told the UK's public broadcaster.
"I'm not the energetic person I was. In the first months of transition I put on 10kg. I can't eat the way I did before, I became anaemic, my haemoglobin is low, I'm always cold, I don't have the same physical strength, my sleep isn't what it was, I have mood swings.
"I'm not the same as before."
Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), said he wants to see the sporting world unite on its transgender policies. He's also is acutely aware of the backlash that may follow over Petrillo's participation in Paris.
Petrillo will compete in Paris. Getty
"I am prepared for the criticism.
"But again we need to respect our rules, we cannot disrespect our rules. So sometimes as an individual I think one way or another, but we need to follow our constitution, we need to follow our own rules and in the specific sports the rules of the international federations need to be respected.
"So for the moment World Para Athletics rules allow her to compete, so she will be welcome as any other athlete."
He added: "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."
Mariuccia Quilleri, a lawyer and athlete who has represented a number of fellow athletes who oppose Petrillo's participation in women's races, said inclusion had been chosen over fairness and "there is not much more we can do".
The Paralympic Games begin August 29.
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