Transgender athlete Valentina Petrillo into women’s 200m semi-finals at Paralympics

Italian transgender athlete Valentina Petrillo has qualified for the semi-finals of the women’s T12 200m at the Paralympics in Paris.

The 50-year-old, who transitioned in 2019 , finished last in the fifth and final heat on Friday morning but her season’s best time of 25.95 seconds made her ninth fastest overall, with 12 athletes progressing.

The semi-finals are scheduled to take place on Friday evening, with the final on Saturday evening.

Visually-impaired Petrillo previously won 11 national titles in the men’s category as a married father of two.

She was 0.01 secs behind Venezuelan runner Alejandra Perez, while Simran of India won the three-athlete heat in a time of 25.41 secs.

Naples-born Petrillo, who was diagnosed with Stargardt disease – a genetic eye condition – aged 14, was one of only two of the 19 event entrants to run without a guide.

Reigning champion Omara Durand of Cuba was the fastest qualifier, in a time of 24.78 secs.

On Monday, Petrillo qualified for the semi-finals of the women’s T12 400m event but subsequently failed to progress to the medal race.

According to the International Paralympic Committee, she is the second transgender Paralympian.

Dutch discus thrower Ingrid van Kranen, who died in 2021, finished ninth in the F11 classification at Rio 2016.