Rachel McKinnon became the first transgender woman to win a world title at the 2018 UCI Masters Track Cycling World Championships at the VELO Sports Center in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday. Representing Canada, McKinnon beat Carolien Van Herrikhuyzen (Netherlands) in the gold-medal round of the women´s 35-44 sprint. `First transgender woman world champion...ever,` McKinnon posted on Twitter following the event. McKinnon, who competes in both road and track cycling, was born biological male and identifies as being a transgender woman. She is a professor and PhD in philosophy at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, teaching on the subjects of philosophy and ethics, and with a focus on gender studies.ADVERTISEMENT The UCI Masters Track World Championships was held from October 6- 13 with events open to men and women riders 35 years of age and older. There included three sprint events: match sprints, 500-750-1000m time trial, team sprint. There were four endurance events: pursuit, scratch race points race. McKinnon set a new World Record during the women´s 34-39 Sprint Qualifying Flying 200m, with a time of 0:00:11.92, which was broken during the subsequent heats. During the women´s 35-44 sprint gold-medal final against Van Herrikhuyzen, McKinnon won the first two rounds to take the world title. Jennifer Wagner (USA), won the final for bronze against fourth-placed Linsey Hamilton (USA). Policies concerning transgender women in sports have changed drastically over the years. As of 2015, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) currently rules that transgender women competing in women`s events must test below a specified level of testosterone (10 nanomoles per litre) for more than one year before they are permitted to compete. The UCI abides by the sae policy. - Dr. Rachel McKinnon (@rachelvmckinnon) October 14, 2018
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