Transgender runner Valentina Petrillo, born Fabrizio, won bronze in the women's category of the 400-meter race at the World Paralympic Athletics Championships in Paris, France.
BREAKING: A trans-identified male has taken bronze in the women's 400m T12 at the World Para Athletics Championships.
Valentina Petrillo has several women's athletic titles, but this is his first women's world championship medal.
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The Italian runner's victory was in a special category designated for visually impaired competitors (Petrillo has a degenerative eye disease). The championship allows trans participants to compete in the category that corresponds to the gender with which they self-identify.
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Petrillo's victory was criticized by users in social media, since he has an advantage over his female rivals due to being a biological male. Peter Eriksson, former Paralympics coach, said Reduxx that the inclusion of a biological male among the female runners is unfair:
It’s shocking to see that women’s opportunities to a medal were taken by a cheating 49-year-old male. The International Paralympic Committee is diminishing the rights of fairness in women’s sport by allowing transgender athletes at their events.
Petrillo has won nine women's medals
This is the runner's ninth victory in women's categories in various championships. The victories are constantly questioned, since on several occasions, before the sex change, Petrillo competed in men's competitions without winning any sort of trophy.
Petrillo's gold medal victory in the women's 200 meter race at the Italian Indoor Masters Championship was the source of harsh criticism. Petrillo's record time would have placed just 14th in the men's category.
Petrillo started hormone therapy treatment in 2019. Previously, Petrillo was married to a woman, and the couple had a son.
