Winning again

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Might his considerable male advantage in size and strength help in any way? Well, he's legit according to the IOC guidelines, so the moaners can kiss his arse.

"As a sportsperson, to accept that you won't go as fast as before is difficult. I had to accept this compromise, because it is a compromise, for my happiness."

It has become Petrillo's motto: "Better to be a slow happy woman than a fast unhappy man."

In reality, she is not slow, just slower, as her gold medals in last September's Italian Paralympics championships attest.

Yep – he's winning again. Which means real biological women, who train hard to compete, don't win. But he's happy, which is what really matters.

And there's an inspiring film to look forward to:

She describes her life today as a visually impaired transgender athlete as an arduous journey that is far from over, but she is keen to share her story. But he's happy – which is all that matters.

"I think my example is positive, of a trans person who does a sport they love," she says. "Maybe if I'd seen a Valentina on TV when I was an adolescent, my choices would have been different."

This is why she agreed to have her story fully documented on film – 5 Nanomoles: The Olympic dream of a trans woman will be released next year. She says making the documentary has helped her to get through some of the darkest moments of her journey, and surprised her too.

"Valentina is enjoying making this film! She really is and I'd never have imagined it. This is another thing that Fabrizio would never have done: Fabrizio would never have spoken on TV, or given interviews, or put himself out there. But Valentina does."

Update: from Graham Linehan – The BBC, still grooming for Stonewall.