Critics “were wrong”
Transgender runner Petrillo runs against the discontent
07.09.2024, 18:18
Her participation in the Paralympics caused a stir. Because Valentina Petrillo lived as a man for a long time, her participation in the sprint is controversial. A German competitor also had doubts – but was significantly faster. The Italian remained without a medal, but was still proud, as she said in an interview with ntv.
Valentina Petrillo is happy even without a medal. She has fulfilled her big dream by taking part in the Paralympics in Paris. “It was a start – with the 80,000 people here in the stadium and everyone who saw it. Barriers are overcome here. Dreams come true here,” she told ntv/RTL in an interview.
Taking part is everything, the Olympic motto also applies to the 51-year-old Italian – because Petrillo’s qualification for the 200 meters and 400 meters was controversial. She lived as a man for a long time and competed in countless competitions as one over many years before she completed her transition.
From January 2019, Petrillo underwent hormone therapy. Her testosterone level is now consistently below the required level, which is why she is allowed to compete in the Paralympics according to the rules of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The situation would be different at the world athletics association for non-disabled athletes. A mess that is not exactly conducive. The president of the IPC, Andrew Parsons, also pointed out that the rules apply “for the moment”. He would like a “uniform” solution, the official explained in a BBC interview, adding that Petrillo was welcome in Paris. After all, the Paralympics are an ambassador for inclusion.
German views Petrillo’s start critically
But there was a lot of excitement about Petrillo’s participation in the sprint. The German Disabled Sports Association kept quiet about it for the time being, waiting for an internal meeting to then take a position. Head of delegation Karl Quade explained: “We respect the decision of the international associations for the time being, but we are calling for clear rules for the future – World Athletic has these rules, Para-Athletic does not.” According to the ARD “Sportschau”, the German Disabled Sports Association stated that it has “great expertise in dealing with minorities”. In addition, it is committed “every day to the realization of their rights. This includes self-determined participation in social life as well as the self-realization of every person – also with regard to sexual identity.” But: “The freedom of individuals must not lead to discrimination against others.”
Because it’s just like this: Because Petrillo qualified, another Italian had to watch. And it also means a lot of uncertainty for the foreign competition. “Basically, everyone should live in everyday life the way they feel comfortable. But I find it difficult in competitive sport,” Katrin Müller-Rottgardt told “Bild”. The German was competing in the same starting class T12 for the visually impaired. Petrillo “lived and trained as a man for a long time, so it’s clear that the physical requirements are different than for someone who was born a woman. She could therefore have an advantage.”
It is now clear: Petrillo did not sprint to a medal, neither over 400 nor over 200 meters. In the semi-final over the shorter distance, she was even in the same heat as Müller-Rottgart, the German was 0.77 seconds faster than Petrillo. The Italian therefore told ntv/RTL in an interview: “I ran an Italian record. But my semi-final exit over 200 meters also shows that the people who assumed I had an advantage because I was once a man were wrong.”
Son Lorenzo in Paris
When she was 14 years old, Petrillo was diagnosed with the retinal disease Stargardt’s disease, which causes progressive visual impairment. She told ntv/RTL: “I personally experience two types of discrimination: as a person with a disability and as a transgender woman. Now I was the way I always wanted to be.” That is why the games in Paris are so important to her. “I had the ambition to be the role model that I was missing as a transgender person. And I think I have achieved that. My message is: don’t let yourself be defeated, whatever happens. Don’t give up, believe that life always gives you a second chance. I had my difficulties too, I was afraid too. But now everyone knows that there is someone who has made it, who is leading the way.”
In 2016, a transsexual athlete, Ingrid van Kranen from the Netherlands, competed in the para-discus throw in Rio de Janeiro. At the recent Olympic Games in Paris, the fights of boxers Imane Khelif from Algeria and Lin Yi-ting from Taiwan were in the spotlight. The discussions went far beyond the question of fair competition and also reached the highest political circles. In the heated socio-political atmosphere, both athletes experienced a lot of hostility on the Internet. The International Olympic Committee described alleged gender tests carried out but not explained in more detail by the International Boxing Association as an “arbitrary decision without due process” and allowed Khelif and Lin to take part.
In Petrillo’s case, the legal situation is clear. “I am a transgender father and I have always blamed myself for being the way I am. I still do. But sport helps me to overcome that,” she told ntv/RTL. And she is sure of the support of her son Lorenzo in Paris: “My son and also my ex-wife are here. Yes, unfortunately, we got divorced. But she is here. And I hope that I was able to make my son proud, that is the most important thing.”