Valentina Petrillo, the transgender Paralympian who competed against women at the Paris Paralympics, has hit back at criticism she received from J.K. Rowling for taking part in the event.
Petrillo's qualification to compete in the women's event at the Paris Paralympics sparked backlash in the weeks leading up to the games. Petrillo competed in the T12 400m sprint. The Italian runner was diagnosed with a progressive eye disease called Stargardt disease as a teenager and began her male-to-female gender transition in 2019.
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Valentina Petrillo of Italy competes in the women's 400m semi-finals at the Stade de France during the Paris Summer Paralympics. (Adam Davey/PA Images via Getty Images)
The “Harry Potter” author wrote to X last week accusing Petrillo of cheating. Petrillo fired back in an interview. London Times.
“J.K. Rowling only cares about me using the ladies' toilet, but she knows nothing about me,” Petrillo told the outlet.
Petrillo blamed the criticism on a world rooted in “bigotry and transphobia.”
Australian B-girl says she “thought she'd lose” at Paris Olympics in first interview since controversy
Athlete Valentina Petrillo prepares to compete at the Stade de France stadium during the Paris Paralympic Games, Monday, September 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Jackson Ranger)
World Athletics last year banned transgender athletes who had a sex change after puberty from competing in women's events, but World Para Athletics still allows transgender athletes to participate as long as they declare their gender identity as female for sporting purposes and provide evidence that their testosterone levels were below 10 nanomoles per litre of blood for at least 12 months before their first competition.
“Since the IOC opened the Olympics to transgender people in 2015, only one person has competed: Laurel Hubbard,” Petrillo added. “And… [openly transgender] I am someone who has participated in the Paralympics. The fear that transgender people will destroy the world [of women’s sport] It doesn't actually exist.
“People said [lots of] Men are competing as women just to win, and that's not happening at all. This is just transphobia.”
After the interview was published, Rowling fired back at Petrillo.
J.K. Rowling arrives at the Guinness Six Nations match at Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on February 24, 2024. (Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images)
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“No, it's not. It's not the only concern I and millions of other women who are concerned about the erosion of feminine categories, boundaries and rights,” she wrote to X.
Fox News' Paulina Deday contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital X's sports coverage Subscribe Fox News Sports Huddle Newsletter.
Ryan Gaydas is a senior editor at Fox News Digital.
Transgender Paralympian fires back at JK Rowling, says critical comments rooted in ‘transphobia’
Valentina Petrillo, the transgender Paralympian who competed against women at the Paris Paralympics, has hit back at criticism she received from J.K. Rowling for taking part in the event.
Petrillo's qualification to compete in the women's event at the Paris Paralympics sparked backlash in the weeks leading up to the games. Petrillo competed in the T12 400m sprint. The Italian runner was diagnosed with a progressive eye disease called Stargardt disease as a teenager and began her male-to-female gender transition in 2019.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Valentina Petrillo of Italy competes in the women's 400m semi-finals at the Stade de France during the Paris Summer Paralympics. (Adam Davey/PA Images via Getty Images)
The “Harry Potter” author wrote to X last week accusing Petrillo of cheating. Petrillo fired back in an interview. London Times.
“J.K. Rowling only cares about me using the ladies' toilet, but she knows nothing about me,” Petrillo told the outlet.
Petrillo blamed the criticism on a world rooted in “bigotry and transphobia.”
Australian B-girl says she “thought she'd lose” at Paris Olympics in first interview since controversy
Athlete Valentina Petrillo prepares to compete at the Stade de France stadium during the Paris Paralympic Games, Monday, September 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Jackson Ranger)
World Athletics last year banned transgender athletes who had a sex change after puberty from competing in women's events, but World Para Athletics still allows transgender athletes to participate as long as they declare their gender identity as female for sporting purposes and provide evidence that their testosterone levels were below 10 nanomoles per litre of blood for at least 12 months before their first competition.
“Since the IOC opened the Olympics to transgender people in 2015, only one person has competed: Laurel Hubbard,” Petrillo added. “And… [openly transgender] I am someone who has participated in the Paralympics. The fear that transgender people will destroy the world [of women’s sport] It doesn't actually exist.
“People said [lots of] Men are competing as women just to win, and that's not happening at all. This is just transphobia.”
After the interview was published, Rowling fired back at Petrillo.
J.K. Rowling arrives at the Guinness Six Nations match at Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on February 24, 2024. (Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images)
Click here to get the FOX News app
“No, it's not. It's not the only concern I and millions of other women who are concerned about the erosion of feminine categories, boundaries and rights,” she wrote to X.
Fox News' Paulina Deday contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital X's sports coverage Subscribe Fox News Sports Huddle Newsletter.
Ryan Gaydas is a senior editor at Fox News Digital.
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