Transgender Paralympics Runner Fails to Qualify for Women’s 400-Meter Final

A transgender Italian Paralympics runner failed to qualify for the 400 M sprint in the women’s T-12 category after placing third in a semifinal competition.

Valentina Petrillo, a biological male, qualified for the semi-finals at the Paris Paralympics with a time of 58.35 seconds in the first round. However, during the semi-finals, Petrillo received a time of 57.58 seconds and came in third, according to Fox News.

Hagar Safrarzadeh Ghahderijani, an Iranian Paralympic athlete, finished with a time of 56.07, while Alejandra Paolo Perez Lopez, a Venezuelan Paralympic athlete, finished second with a time of 56.34.

Petrillo began running when he was younger; however, upon finding out he had Stargardt disease at 14, he stopped, and it wasn’t until Petrillo was 41 that he began competing in para-athletic competitions as a male, according to the Athletic.

Symptoms of Stargardt disease include, “slow loss of central vision in both eyes,” as well as “gray, black, or hazy spots in the center of your vision,” “sensitivity to light,” and “color blindness,” according to the National Eye Institute.

🚨BREAKING🚨

Valentina Petrillo, a biological male who "identifies" as a woman, will not compete for Paralympic gold after failing to qualify in the Women's T12 400m semi-finals.

Earlier today, Petrillo accused his critics of simply being "jealous" of him. https://t.co/178qZ6KbNM pic.twitter.com/x96bETY1W2

— REDUXX (@ReduxxMag) September 2, 2024

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