Transgender Valentina Petrillo's presence in the Paralympics is an insult to her female rivals. Allowing her to run is a disgrace, writes IAN HERBERT

On a warm autumnal morning in Paris on Monday, a group of women gathered for the occasion to which they had devoted three years of hugely challenging lives.

A Cuban who has become an icon of parasport, an Iranian who has become an emblem of freedom for millions in her country, and one of the most loved sportswomen in Mexico were among those competing in the heats of the Paralympic Games 400 metres for women who are visually impaired.

It was in the last of four qualifying heats that a competitor limbered up whose presence was an insult to those women, their years of endeavour against immense odds and to the integrity of the Paralympic Games.

Italian Valentina Petrillo, a 51-year-old athlete who has won 11 national men's titles, fathered two children and was still competing as a male at the age of 45, has claimed an entitlement to enter the female category for the sake of 'happiness'.

As a man, Petrillo's standards were mediocre and nothing like the minimum male qualifying standard for the Paralympics. As a recategorised woman she has become a serial winner, setting six Italian Paralympic records, reaching a European final and collecting two international medals.

Italian Valentina Petrillo fathered two children and was still competing as a male at the age of 45, has claimed an entitlement to enter the female category for the sake of 'happiness'

Petrillo was still competing as a male at the age of 45 but has been permitted to run in the Paralympics

Last year, the former computer scientist took 200m bronze at the World Para-Athletics Championships in Paris

Last year, the former computer scientist took 200m bronze at the World Para-Athletics Championships in Paris, beating Morocco's Fatima Ezzahra El Idrissi out of a podium place. Petrillo was 18 years older than anyone else in the field.

The sight of Petrillo beating the diminutive Chinese athlete Shen Yaqin, who is 17 years younger than her, in their heat really was evidence of a Paralympic sport which has lost all grasp on reality.

Petrillo strode around the outside lane of the track like a good club runner and though she was caught by a highly competent Venezuelan, who won the heat, her Chinese opponent, lacking anything like Petrillo's muscularity, looked like a waif. 

The sense of unfairness was exacerbated by Petrillo, who developed the degenerative eye condition Stargardt disease as a child, running without a guide, while both her opponents needed one.

Petrillo would not have been allowed to compete in the Olympics, because the World Athletics governing body — which has agonised over how to deal with transgender athletes while maintaining a fair playing field for women — has acted on multiple scientific studies by restricting international women's competition exclusively to those born female.

But the equivalent World Para Athletics organisation says transgender athletes must merely prove they are a 'recognised female in law' and provide evidence that their testosterone level has been 'below 10 nanomoles per litre for at least 12 months'. 

The upper limit of the standard female range is 2.4. Petrillo has been having testosterone reduction treatment. You only need to have witnessed some of the British Paralympic competitors at close quarters here this week to see that behind these Games' narrative of inclusion, there are athletes desperate to succeed, who are beyond desolation when they do not.

Kadeena Cox was still lying on the floor of the velodrome, weeping, a quarter of an hour after crashing on the first corner in her time trial. Badminton player Dan Bethell could hardly find words after losing his gold-medal game.

To welcome a runner who just five years ago would have described herself as a 'father-of-two' laughs in the faces of these people. It is nothing less than a disgrace.

World Para Athletics organisation says transgender athletes must merely prove they are a 'recognised female in law' and provide evidence that their testosterone level has been 'below 10 nanomoles per litre for at least 12 months'

In a documentary aired this summer Petrillo, who is biologically male, admitted women were entitled to feel 'astonishment, confusion and doubt' about her. But after progressing to last night's semi-final as the sixth fastest, three seconds ahead of Shen, she was bursting with entitlement.

Limiting interviews to the Paralympics' in-house broadcasting service, she said: 'I don't want to hear about discrimination or prejudice against trans people. Let's mark this down as a historic day. Now I've made it, so we can all make it if I've made it. I've done my little bit. We will not stop.'

And that is precisely what the women competing alongside Petrillo, who steadfastly avoided contact with her on Monday morning, most fear.

In a documentary aired this summer Petrillo, who is biologically male, admitted women were entitled to feel 'astonishment, confusion and doubt' about her

Institutional cowardice has opened the door of elite women's sport to an individual who should not be there. Who knows how many more will follow?

After finishing third in her semi-final on Monday night, failing to make Tuesday's final, she sobbed in the athlete/media mixed zone. 'They are stronger than me,' she said. 'But I hope my son will be proud of me. This is important to me because he has a trans dad. He does not have the dad that everyone dreams of. But I hope he will be proud of me.'

It was a very different tone to the triumphant one she struck after progressing to the semi-final as the sixth fastest runner, three seconds ahead of Shen. 'From this day forth, I don't want to hear any more talk about discrimination or prejudice for trans people,' she said then. 'I've done my little bit. We will not stop.'

That's precisely what many of the women competing alongside Petrillo worry about. She competes again in the 200m on Friday.