Transgender runner fails to qualify for women's 400m final at 2024 Paralympic Games

Italian sprinter Valentina Petrillo, who became the first openly transgender athlete to compete Paralympic Games, will not compete for a medal in the women's T12 400-metre sprint after a third-place finish in Monday's semifinal.

THE 50 year old athlete, who began his transition in 2019, qualified for the semi-final with a time of 58.35 in the first round.

Valentina Petrillo of Italy prepares to compete in the Women's 400m T12 Round 1 at Stade de France during the 2024 Paralympic Games on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Jackson Ranger)

Petrillo finished second in the unguided series.

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Petrillo reached the semifinals with a personal best of 57.58 seconds, which was not enough to qualify for Tuesday's final. The Italian finished third behind Iran's Hajar Safarzadeh Ghahderijani and Venezuela's Alejandra Paola Perez Lopez.

As a teenager, Petrillo was diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition called Stargardt disease. As a man, Petrillo won 11 national titles in the men’s T12 category between 2015 and 2018 before eventually transitioning.

Valentina Petrillo of Italy competes in the Women's 400m T12 Round 1 at Stade de France during the 2024 Paralympic Games on Monday, September 2, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Jackson Ranger)

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“I started my transition in 2019 and in 2020 I realized my dream, which was to compete in the women’s category, to play the sport that I had always loved to do,” Petrillo told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “I turned 50 before that happened … we all have the right to a second choice in life, a second chance.”

While World Athletics Banned Transgender athletes are not eligible to compete in women’s events if they transitioned after puberty last year. World Para Athletics still allows transgender athletes to compete provided they declare their gender identity for sporting purposes as female and provide proof that their testosterone levels have been below 10 nanomoles per litre of blood for at least 12 months before their first competition.

Valentina Petrillo of Italy reacts as she prepares to compete in the Women's 400m T12 Round 1 at Stade de France during the 2024 Paralympic Games on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Jackson Ranger)

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Petrillo could still win an Olympic medal in the women's 200 meters T12. The first round begins Friday and the final is scheduled for Saturday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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