A woman who lost a world-championship cycling race to a biological male who identified as a transgender woman criticized the result as unfair.
Jennifer Wagner said it was “definitely NOT fair” that she was forced to compete against Rachel McKinnon, the male cyclist, in the women’s event.
McKinnon, representing Canada, won the women’s sprint 35-39 age bracket at the 2018 UCI Masters Track Cycling World Championships in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Wagner, a Houston-area doctor, took third place behind McKinnon and Dutch cyclist Carolien van Herrikhuyzen.
“I was the 3rd place rider. It’s definitely NOT fair,” Wagner wrote on Twitter Monday in response to a comment about the race. (RELATED: Biological Male Wins World Championship In Woman’s Cycling)
Screenshot/Twitter
Allowing biological males who identify as transgender women to compete in women’s athletic events has been a contentious subject, as critics have argued that it puts the female competitors at an inherent disadvantage.
Van Herrikhuyzen, said McKinnon won an “honest race.”
“No one is a transgender to steal anyone’s medal. We had an honest race under [Union Cycliste Internationale] rules. If you compete you accept the rules, otherwise, don’t compete,” van Herrikhuyzen wrote in response to a Twitter commenter.
“I can only imagine what she had to go through in her life to be where she is now, how hard it is to fit in,” she added.
Wagner replied: “Just because it’s a CURRENT UCI rule doesn’t make it fair or right. And rules can be changed.”
McKinnon, a professor at the College of Charleston, accused Wagner of “transphobia” for her opposition to racing against men.
McKinnon also dismissed claims of an unfair advantage.
“I think there is absolutely no evidence that I have an unfair advantage,” McKinnon said in an interview with VeloNews.
Follow Hasson on Twitter @PeterJHasson
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.