'What a Joke': Martina Navratilova Blasts Trans Cyclist's 'Victory' in North Carolina Women's Cycling Event

Martina Navratilova, a former tennis champion and LGBTQ+ activist, has sparked controversy with her criticism of a transgender cyclist’s victory in a women’s cycling event held in North Carolina. The cyclist, Rachel McKinnon, won the Masters Track Cycling World Championships in October, prompting Navratilova to condemn the decision as unfair to the other female competitors. Writing in an op-ed for The Sunday Times, Navratilova claimed that allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s events is “cheating” and urged sports organizations to establish objective standards for gender identity verification. However, her comments have been met with backlash and accusations of transphobia from some quarters, with experts pointing out that there is no clear scientific evidence to support Navratilova’s claims. The debate around gender, sport and fairness looks set to continue.