Valentina Petrillo: First openly transgender athlete qualifies for women’s T12 400m semi-finals

Speaking to BBC Sport before the Games, Petrillo, who transitioned in 2019, said that her participation in Paris would be an “important symbol of inclusion”.

Currently, there is no unified position in sport towards transgender inclusion.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) allows international sport governing bodies to set their own policies.

IPC president Andrew Parsons told BBC Sport that while Petrillo would be “welcome” in Paris under current World Para Athletics policies, he wants to see the sporting world “unite” on its transgender policies.

The IPC has confirmed Petrillo is not the first transgender athlete to compete at the Paralympics.

The governing body told the BBC Dutch athlete Ingrid van Kranen, who died in 2021, finished ninth in the women’s discus final at the Rio 2016 Games.

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”.

Venezuela’s Paralympic Committee (VPC) have called it a “a terrible inequality that puts female athletes (born female) at a great disadvantage”.

General secretary Johan Marin told BBC Sport: “We are completely against discrimination, inequality and/or exclusion of any person or group in any social sphere.

“Therefore, respect for individual rights, inclusion and equality must always prevail.

“Precisely because of the latter, we consider that the inclusion of a transgender athlete (born male), in a female category.”

Marin called for an open category for transgender athletes to compete in calling it the “fairest and most sensible thing”.