The 50-year-old sprinter transitioned in 2019
Italy 's Valentina Petrillo won bronze in the 200m and 400m events at the Para Athletics World Championships in Paris last year. Photograph: Matthias Hangst/GettyThe 50-year-old, who transitioned in 2019, won bronze medals in both events at the World Para Athletics Championships last year in the French capital. Before transitioning, Petrillo won 11 national titles in the men’s category.
“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,” Petrillo said. “I will only start thinking about the Paris Games once I arrive in France.
However, the IPC allows governing bodies to set their own policies and World Para Athletics permits an individual legally recognised as a woman to compete. Critics of transgender inclusion in women’s sport say going through male puberty imbues athletes with a huge musculoskeletal advantage that transition does not mitigate. LGBT+ advocacy groups say excluding trans athletes amounts to discrimination and that not enough research has been done into the effects of transition on athletic performance.
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