Trans Paralympian Valentina Petrillo hits back after JK Rowling brands her a ‘cheat’

Trans Paralympian Valentina Petrillo has hit back at JK Rowling after the controversial author called her a “cheat”.

Italian Petrillo is a visually impaired sprinter who competed in the T12 200m and 400m at this year’s Pairs Paralympics. She was the first out trans person to compete at the Games, having transitioned in 2019, but failed to qualify for the final of either event.

Much like the gender storm that erupted around Algerian boxer Imane Khelif during the Olympic Games weeks earlier, Petrillo faced an onslaught of online abuse.

Harry Potter author Rowling, well-known for her anti-trans views, wrote on X/Twitter: “Why all the anger about the inspirational Petrillo? The cheat community has never had this kind of visibility. Out and proud cheats like Petrillo prove the era of cheat-shaming is over. What a role model. I say we give [disgraced cyclist] Lance Armstrong his medals back and move on. #Cheats #NoShame.”

In a follow-up post, Rowling was asked how the athlete was cheating because by “automatically saying that trans people are cheating, you’re associating stereotypes to us that just aren’t true”.

The author replied: “Stereotypes are simplistic/prejudiced blanket assumptions about a demographic that don’t correlate with the facts. I know all trans people aren’t cheats. However, knowing you have an unfair advantage and exploiting it anyway is pretty much the textbook definition of cheating.”

Now, Petrillo has told reporters: “I’m flattered that Rowling is talking about me. I’ve never even read Harry Potter. I’m told she wrote it but I didn’t read it. I was told that she wrote about a sport where there is no gender. So, I was expecting different behaviour from Rowling.

“The most important word in Olympic and Paralympic sports is inclusion. We have to find solutions to include everyone, because everyone needs to feel joy in sports, that’s why we are here. If we want to, we can find a solution.

“I would like to live in the Paralympic village all my life because I feel protected here.”

This is not the first time Rowling has passed comment on the topic of the links between gender, having spoken out against trans inclusion and criticising Khelif.

Gold-medallist Khelif has subsequently filed a lawsuit for “acts of aggravated cyber harassment” she says she faced, naming Rowling and X owner Elon Musk and others in the case.