[Niamh.]

A transgender athlete, who previously won 11 men's national titles, has run in the semi-finals of the women's T12 400m event at the Paralympics - but failed to make the final.

Visually impaired Italian Valentina Petrillo finished second in her heat in Paris but progressed to Monday's semi-final as the sixth-fastest runner in a time of 58.35 seconds.

Naples-born Petrillo, 51, who transitioned in 2019, is believed to be one of the first openly transgender Paralympians.

At 14, she was diagnosed with Stargardt disease - a retinal condition that causes a progressive loss of vision.

Ms Petrillo initially gave up running but has been competing in Para sport since she was 41.

Ms Petrillo collected bronze medals in the 200m and 400m world championship races in 2023 with times of 26.31 and 58.24 seconds respectively.

She said: "From today I don't want to hear anything more about discrimination, prejudices against transgender people.

[Cherie]

whats that in your pants Miss?

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Cherie

whats that in your pants Miss?

She's wearing nail varnish though so..

[Niamh.]

It's an absolute farce, how anyone could defend this and claim to be "on the right side of history" is bizarre and cruel. Taking the piss out of disabled women now? like ffs

Spoiler:

[Livia]

"This is a dream I've had since I was a little girl.". F* **ing WHAT??

[Crimson Dynamo]

On that hideous far-left "comedy" show The Last Leg they congratulated the Paralympics on being so inclusive for doing this..

[Oliver_W]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

why would you transition into Katie Hopkins?

[Cherie]

Transgender sprinter Valentina Petrillo sparked controversy this week by qualifying for the women's semi-finals at the Paris Paralympics, despite previously competing in men's categories.

The 51-year-old Italian athlete, who is visually impaired, secured her place in the T12 400m event on Monday, but missed out on a spot in Tuesday's finale after finishing third.

etrillo, who transitioned in 2019 at the age of 46, had previously won 11 national titles in men's T12 competitions between 2015 and 2018. Her inclusion in women's events has reignited debates about fairness in sport, with prominent figures voicing their concerns.

JK Rowling, the renowned British author, has been vocal in her criticism of Petrillo's inclusion.

In a scathing tweet, Rowling sarcastically remarked: "Why all the anger about the inspirational Petrillo? The cheat community has never had this kind of visibility!

"Out and proud cheats like Petrillo prove the era of cheat-shaming is over. What a role model!"

The Harry Potter creator's comments have added fuel to the ongoing debate surrounding transgender athletes in women's sports.

Rowling's stance reflects a growing concern among some that biological differences may confer unfair advantages, potentially compromising the integrity of women's competitions.

Her outspoken position has resonated with those who argue for maintaining sex-based categories in sports, whilst drawing criticism from trans rights advocates.

Former Olympians have joined the chorus of criticism against Petrillo's inclusion. Mara Yamauchi, a two-time Olympic marathon runner, expressed her frustration on social media, stating: "This makes my blood boil.

A talented, hard-working, exceptional female athlete is out of the T12 400m bc of a 50-year old father of two performing womanface on the world's stage."

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova echoed these sentiments, retweeting Yamauchi's comments and adding: "Amen to this thread! And stop telling (me) it's the democrats that did this.

[Cherie]

This wont happen though, women will never be disadvantaged by men claiming to be women....remember all the MEN who told us that

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Crimson Dynamo

On that hideous far-left "comedy" show The Last Leg they congratulated the Paralympics on being so inclusive for doing this..

This is the woman who was excluded from her own category in favour of a male competitor