A transgender athlete fails to make the women's 400-meter final at the 2024 Paralympic Games.

Valentina Petrillo, the first openly transgender athlete to compete in the Paralympic Games, will not race for a medal in the women’s T12 400-meter sprint after finishing third in Monday’s semifinal.

In 2019, the 50-year-old athlete began transitioning and qualified for the semifinal with a time of 58.35 in the first round heat.

Petrillo finished second in the heat without a guide.

Despite finishing with a personal best of 57.58, Petrillo did not qualify for the final as he came in third place behind Hajar Safarzadeh Ghahderijani of Iran and Alejandra Paola Perez Lopez of Venezuela.

Petrillo, who was diagnosed with Stargardt disease as a teenager, won 11 national titles in the men's T12 category between 2015 and 2018 before eventually transitioning.

""In 2019, I started transitioning and in 2020, I achieved my dream of racing in the female category, a sport I have always loved. I was 50 when it happened, and I believe everyone deserves a second chance at life," Petrillo said in a recent interview with The Associated Press."

Transgender athletes are still allowed to compete in women's events in World Para Athletics, but only if they declare their gender identity as female and provide evidence that their testosterone levels have been below 10 nanomoles per liter of blood for at least 12 months prior to their first competition.

The women's T12 200-meter Olympic medal is still within reach for Petrillo, with the first round starting on Friday and the final on Saturday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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