A transgender cyclist, Rachel McKinnon, won gold in the sprint at the 2018 UCI Masters Track Cycling World Championships.
The Canadian won the women’s 35-39 age bracket at the 2018 UCI Masters Track Cycling World Championships in Los Angeles.
McKinnon is the “first” transgender woman ever to win gold at the UCI Masters Track Cycling World Championships. The event was organized by USA Cycling and took place in Los Angeles under the auspices of the UCI.
Many have praised her achievement, but some say it was cheating, since she was born male.
The Canadian cyclist, who is also an assistant professor in the department of philosophy at South Carolina’s College of Charleston, has defended herself against the claims on Twitter.
In one post, she wrote: “I train 15-20hrs/week, twice/day 5-6 days/week. Yeah…I just jumped off the couch and won. Transphobic bigots, y’all.”
In January, McKinnon argued against requiring biological males to suppress testosterone as a requirement for competing against women.
“We cannot have a woman legally recognized as a trans woman in society, and not be recognized that way in sports,” McKinnon told the media.
