Valentina Petrillo is set to make history as the first openly transgender athlete to compete at the Paralympic Games, having been selected to represent Italy in Para-athletics in Paris.
The 50-year-old sprinter, who competes in the women’s T12 classification for athletes with visual impairments, transitioned in 2019.
Petrillo, who will run in the T12 200m and 400m, expressed to BBC Sport that her participation in the Games would serve as an “important symbol of inclusion.”
However, Mariuccia Quilleri, a lawyer and athlete who has represented several athletes opposing Petrillo’s participation in women’s races, argued that inclusion has been prioritized over fairness and lamented that “there is not much more we can do.”
Last year, Petrillo won two bronze medals at the World Para Athletics Championships.
The Paralympic Games will take place from August 28 to September 8.
Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), told BBC Sport that while Petrillo would be “welcome” in Paris under current World Para Athletics policies, he hopes to see the sporting world “unite” on its transgender policies.
What do the rules say?
Currently, there is no unified position in sports regarding transgender inclusion.
The IPC permits international sports governing bodies to establish their own policies, resulting in significant differences between World Athletics’ policies and those of World Para Athletics.
World Athletics has banned transgender women from competing in the female category at international events. Its president, Lord Coe, stated that the decision aims to “maintain fairness for female athletes above all other considerations.”
Under World Para Athletics’ rules, a person legally recognized as a woman is eligible to compete in the category their impairment qualifies them for. The rules further state that “World Para Athletics will handle any cases involving transgender athletes in accordance with the International Olympic Committee’s transgender guidelines (as amended by the IOC from time to time) and any applicable World Para Athletics regulations.”
Parsons indicated last year that the IPC was not contemplating a ruling across all Paralympic sports. However, in a recent interview in Paris on August 10, he mentioned that he is only comfortable with the current stance “for the moment.”
“I do think that the sport movement has to, guided by science, come up with better answers for these situations and for transgender athletes,” Parsons said.
“We need to, based on science, have a better and probably a united answer to this population.
“We need to come up with a valid, solid, sound answer for that population.”
Asked if he was prepared for criticism of the IPC when Petrillo competes, he said: “I am prepared for the criticism.
“But again we need to respect our rules, we cannot disrespect our rules. So sometimes as an individual I think one way or another, but we need to follow our constitution, we need to follow our own rules and in the specific sports the rules of the international federations need to be respected.
“So for the moment World Para Athletics rules allow her to compete, so she will be welcome as any other athlete.”
He added: “I think it is just fair that we treat [transgender athletes] respectfully. But I do think science should give us the answer, because we also want to be fair with the other athletes in the field of play. It is a very difficult question. And science hopefully will be able to give us the answer. And what I would like to see in the future is that the whole of sport has a united position on it.”