Valentina Petrillo is set to become the first openly transgender athlete to compete in the Paralympics after being selected to represent Italy in Paris.
The 50-year-old sprinter – who competes in the women's T12 category, for visually impaired athletes – began her gender transition in 2019.
Petrillo, who will run in the 200m races. and 400m. of T12, told BBC Sport that her participation in the Games was an important "symbol of inclusion".
However, Mariuccia Killeri, an athlete and lawyer who has represented several of her fellow athletes who oppose Petrillo's participation, commented that "inclusion defeated justice." According to her, once the decision has been made, not much can be done to change it.
Last year, Petrillo won two bronze medals at the World Para-Athletics Championships.
The Paralympic Games are held from August 28 to September 8.
Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), told BBC Sport that while Petrillo is "welcome" in Paris under current World Para Athletics policies, he would like to see a "joint" policy for transgender people in the sports world.
What do the rules say?
Currently, there is no uniform policy in the world of sports regarding the inclusion of transgender sportsmen and women in competitions.
The IPC allows international sporting bodies to set their own policies.
There are significant differences between World Athletics and World Para Athletics policies.
World Athletics has banned trans women from competing in the women's division at international events. Its president, Sebastian Coe, said the decision was based on a desire to "maintain justice for female athletes" that outweighed all other considerations.
According to World Para Athletics regulations, a person who legally identifies as female is eligible to compete in the category that their disability allows.
Source: protothema.gr