The Italians complained about the Algerian woman and now… They are sending a transgender athlete to the Paralympics!

The Olympics may have already rung, but Paris will soon be filled with athletes again! As early as August 28, Paralympians will gather in France to fight for medal success. Italian Valentina Petrillo (50) will also try for it. However, the visually impaired representative used to have a man named Fabrizio who was the father of two children.

Petrillová began her transformation into a woman in 2019 and previously competed in the men’s category. Her current participation in Paris is currently causing some controversy due to qualification. The Italian blew the chance for the Paralympics of the blind Spanish runner Melani Bergés (33). She finished behind Petrilla in the elimination competitions, and with the fifth place she did not make it to the finals.

Spanish lawyer Irene Aguiarová did not hide her indignation, according to the BILD newspaper: “Our Spanish athlete Melani Bergés lost her chance to qualify for the Paralympics. The reason is the participation of the man Fabrizio ‘Valentino’ Petrillo, who made it to the final instead of her. That’s unfair,” she despaired. And she wasn’t alone.

More than 40 organizations fighting for women’s rights have expressed their displeasure, but apparently to no avail. After all, three years ago, a petition by about 30 athletes who tried to present it in Italy to the head of the athletics federation and the Ministry of Sports ended with the same result.

Sports scientist Ross Tucker noted for the BBC that people born male will only have very modestly reduced testosterone levels despite hormone therapy. At the same time, it is this hormone that supports the muscle mass and strength properties of the athlete.

However, Petrillová does not believe that she has an advantage over her rivals: “I don’t have as much energy as I used to. I’ve gained ten pounds now. I’m still cold, my sleep isn’t the same, and I have mood swings.”

The whole situation seems all the more strange that during the Olympics in Paris, part of the Italians rioted because of the participation of the Algerian boxer Imán Khalifová, who knocked out their representative Angela Cariniová. They did not like the fact that although the Arab woman was born a woman and did not undergo any transformation, her body produced male hormones.