PARIS (AP) — Italian transgender athlete Valentina Petrillo failed to reach the final of the women’s T12 400 meters for visually impaired runners after finishing third in her semifinal at the Paralympic Games on Monday.
The 50-year-old Petrillo ran a personal best 57.58 seconds in the second semifinal but finished behind Iran’s Hajar Safarzadeh Ghahderijani and Venezuela’s Alejandra Paola Perez Lopez, who both advanced to Tuesday’s final.
Petrillo earlier ran the fourth heat in the first round in 58.35 seconds, qualifying for the later semifinal.
Petrillo was diagnosed with Stargardt disease when she was 14, a retinal disease that causes a progressive loss of vision. Petrillo stopped running as a result, though her dream to compete was sparked by Italian athlete Pietro Mennea’s 200-meter gold-medal performance in the 1980 Olympics.
Petrillo’s appearance came weeks after Olympic boxing gold medalist Imane Khelif of Algeria faced intense scrutiny following false claims about her sex. Her story became one of the biggest of the Summer Games.
The 50-year-old Petrillo began her transition in 2019 but has been competing in para sport since she was 41. She collected bronze medals in the 200 and 400 world championship races in 2023 with times of 26.31 and 58.24, respectively.
This story has been corrected to show Petrillo failed to reach the final after finishing third in her semifinal.
Avery Hill is a student in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.
Italy's Valentina Petrillo reacts as she prepares to compete in the women's 400m T12 round 1, at the Stade de France Stadium, during the 2024 Paralympics, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Jackson Ranger)
Italy's Valentina Petrillo competes in the women's 400m T12 round 1, at the Stade de France stadium, during the 2024 Paralympics, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Jackson Ranger)
Italy's Valentina Petrillo prepares to compete in the women's 400m T12 round 1, at the Stade de France Stadium, during the 2024 Paralympics, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Jackson Ranger)
ATLANTA (AP) — Chris Sale allowed one run and struck out six over six innings, shutting down Shohei Ohtani in the process, for his major league-leading 17th win of the season as the Atlanta Braves beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-1 on Saturday night.
Ohtani, who had a strikeout and walk, has stalled in his quest to be the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season, going 0 for 6 in his last two games since hitting his NL-best 47th home run on Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs. He has 48 steals.
“He’s a special player, and when he gets barrel to the ball it’s going to be hard," Sale said. “With what he’s done this year, if he gets the ball in the air, it’s probably not going to be good for me, so I’m really just trying to throw swing and miss pitches from the first pitch of the game.”
Sale (17-3), who hasn't been charged with a loss since June 27, became the first player in Braves franchise history to allow no more than two earned runs in 17 straight starts, passing Hall of Famer Greg Maddux's previous record of 16 starts. He also surpassed Padres starter Dylan Cease for most strikeouts in the NL this season with 219.
Atlanta is now a season-high 14 games over .500 and pulled even with the Mets for the final NL wild-card spot. New York lost at the Phillies 6-4 on Saturday night.
“These last couple of nights, this is what we’ve expected from ourselves,” Sale said. “We knew what this series means and it’s been a good couple of games for us.”
Atlanta scored six runs in the sixth inning, which featured Matt Olson's bases-loaded double and RBIs from Whit Merrifield and Michael Harris II.
Olson also opened the scoring for Atlanta in the first with an RBI double that scored Harris, who had reached on a single. Olson finished with four RBIs on 2-of-4 hitting.
“When we hit like that, we’re capable of a lot," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "You just kind of get cautiously optimistic that we’re going to get on a run because we’re getting a lot from everybody again, which is really good.”
Jack Flaherty (5-2) lasted just three innings, giving up four earned runs on five hits while walking four and striking out four.
Orlando Arcia broke a 1-1 deadlock in the third with a bases-loaded double off the center-field wall that scored Jorge Soler, Marcel Ozuna and Jarred Kelenic.
Mookie Betts had the only RBI for Los Angeles with a single in the third inning that tied the game at 1-1.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: RHP Tyler Glasnow is “highly unlikely” to return this season, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Saturday. Glasnow hasn't pitched since Aug. 11 due to elbow tendinitis. On Friday night, he was supposed to pitch a simulated game, but felt pain in his elbow while warming up in the bullpen.
UP NEXT
Braves RHP Charlie Morton (8-8, 4.11) will start the third of a four-game series opposite Dodgers RHP Walker Buehler (1-5, 4.11).
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This story has been changed to reflect that Shohei Ohtani leads the National League with 47 home runs, not the major leagues.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani, left, shares a laugh with first base coach Clayton McCullough, right, before he takes the field after the National Anthem in the xxxx inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman watches the pitch in the third inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani watches the pitch in the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)
Atlanta Braves' Jorge Soler runs to second base after hitting a double in the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)
Atlanta Braves' Orlando Arcia (11) gives praise when he reaches second base after hitting a double to center field in the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)
Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale throws in the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)
