The presence of a trans athlete in the Paralympic Athletics Masters championship in Italy generated enormous controversy due to the superiority she showed in the tests.
The protagonist of the debate is Valentina Petrillo, a runner who pulverized several brands in the F50 category. Petrillo is visually impaired and competes in the 100, 200 and 400 meter events.
This weekend, Petrillo broke the mark for the 200-meter test, with a record of 26.27 seconds, and sparked controversy due to the great physical difference she had compared to the other runners.
Valentina identified as a woman since 2017. Before that, she was married as a man. His original given name is Fabrizio. Also, he has a son.
Petrillo had already excelled as a man in sports, not only in track and field, but also in futsal. Later, he tried to participate in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, but the Italian athletics federation did not support his idea.
🇮🇹 | Trans athlete Valentina Petrillo breaks the 200m record in the women’s F50 category in Italy and wins her eighth “female” title. pic.twitter.com/723PGtepyz
– World Alert (@ AlertaMundial2) March 18, 2023
The reactions on social networks against Petrillo have been very strong. “Now the record in the M50 category is held by a man. In the female F50, too. No woman, ”said a user in networks.
THE END OF WOMEN’S SPORT
Valentina Petrillo, a male runner who perceives himself as a woman, has just pulverized the record for the female F50 category. Competing with men, he would not even have qualified for the final phase.
It’s the biggest setback for women in decades pic.twitter.com/uyslYhjlft—Mavica (@mavica81) March 19, 2023
About 30 Paralympic athletes wrote a letter asking Valentina not to compete against them in the trials, or that, if it does, it is when there is no medal in dispute, according to the Milenio portal.
“He maintains masculine characteristics that go against the principles of loyalty and equity at the base of all sports competitions. If he wants to compete with us, we have no problem, but not for titles,” the letter says.
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#Controversy #presence #trans #athlete #competition #Italy