Athletics | An Italian athlete who has corrected her gender will participate in the Paralympics in women’s sprint

in Paris between August and September, the Paralympics will be contested, and the Italian one Valentina Petrillo makes history at the Games. Petrillo, 50, is the first openly transgender athlete in the history of the Paralympics.

In Paris, he will participate in the 200-meter and 400-meter races. He took bronze on both trips at last year’s World Championships, he says The Guardian.

“It’s still hard for me to believe this. I’m keeping my feet on the ground because the Tokyo Olympics narrowly missed out. I only start thinking about the Games after arriving in Paris,” Petrillo commented to The Guardian.

Competing in the visually impaired category, Petrillo has previously won 11 Italian championships in men’s categories.

Petrillo started hormone treatments at the beginning of 2019 and moved to compete in the women’s series in 2020.

“My metabolism changed. I’m not the energetic person I used to be. I can’t eat like before. My hemoglobin is down, I’m always cold, my energy levels are not the same,” Petrillo said in 2021 for the BBC.

Petrillo told the talk show of the Italian Rete 4 channel in Zona Bianca about the criticism he faced involving his two children.

“I’ve been accused of being a bad father because I’m a woman now,” Petrillo said.

However, he is satisfied with the current state.

“I’d rather be a slower and happy woman than a faster but unhappier man,” Petrillo added.

Everyone However, Petrillo’s participation in the Paralympics is not pleasing. Spanish Melani Bergés was sidelined from the Paris Games when Petrillo took a place in front of him in the qualifying competition.

“Our Spanish athlete Melani Bergés lost his chance at the Paralympics. The reason is the man, Fabrizio “Valentina” Petrillo, who made it to the finals instead of him (Bergés). It’s unfair,” a Spanish lawyer specializing in sports law Irene Aguiar said the Spanish newspaper of AS by.

The Paris Paralympics will be contested from August 28 to August 8. September