The Yukon will now be represented by two wrestlers at the senior world championships in September.

Erica Sharp clinched a spot in Baku, Azerbaijan last March, with a gold medal in the 51-kilogram category at the Canadian senior championships, but Brittanee Laverdure took a more roundabout route, earning her spot at the recent Canada Cup tournament in Guelph, Ont.

Laverdure finished second in the women's 55-kg category at nationals, which left her off the world team originally. Thankfully, she was given another shot in Guelph. As an Olympic-weight wrestler (48-, 55, 63- and 72-kg classes), the rules state you can challenge a gold medalist from a non-Olympic weight class in a match, in order to earn your first-place ranking.

British Columbia's Amanda Gerhardt, who trains at Simon Fraser University, is now on the Canadian B' team, after she was challenged and beaten by the Yukon athlete in the 59-kg weight class.

'I wanted to challenge it because I think (the senior world championships) are about gaining more exposure and more experience,' explained Laverdure, back home in Calgary, where she and Sharp both train at the university club. 'It's a big deal. Every country is going to be there. It's not my normal weight class, but I think the experience will help.

'I'll go back to 55-kg after the worlds.'

The challenge certainly wasn't easy, as Laverdure was forced to do it the same day the Canada Cup tournament started. The challenge match was at 8 a.m. and the tournament started at 9 a.m.

'My one coach had watched her, so we kind of knew what she does,' said Laverdure, who originally hails from Watson Lake.

'The match actually got protested. They go back and look at the video and all of the referee's decisions. If it went through, I would have to wrestle again, so there was some anxiety.'

Gerhardt didn't win the protest, but Laverdure didn't blame her for trying.

'She had to protest it really. There was a lot on the line for her.'

After winning her challenge match, Laverdure went on to wrestle in the actual tournament, placing second to a German athlete. Their finals match was tied and went to a coin toss for last advantage. The German, who went to the 2004 Olympics in Athens as a competitor in the 63-kg category, won the toss and took Laverdure down for the point and the win.

'It wasn't my best tournament, because my neck was really bothering me.'

Laverdure underwent a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) test while in Ontario, due to a nagging neck injury that's been flaring up since the spring. She has yet to see the reports from the test, but doctors think she may just have a hyper-mobile neck.

'I'm still training and doing my competition, but some days I wake up and it's just really stiff. I just have to baby it. I'm going to look into treatment options.'

Laverdure is hopeful it improves in time for the worlds, which will be held Sept. 18-23. She's also planning a trip to China at the end of this month with the rest of the Canadian wrestling team, including Sharp. The Canadian Olympic Committee wants them to take a tour of the facility in Beijing, where the 2008 Summer Games will be held next July. They'll also take part in a four-day training camp.

'I guess I don't get any holidays now,' she laughed. 'My coaches want the best results possible, so they'll work with me even more probably, clean up my techniques.

'I wanted to come up to the Yukon in July, but it doesn't look like I'm going to be able to now.'

Laverdure said it still hasn't really sunk in for her that she's headed to the senior world championships, and she's starting to feel some of the pressure. She's confident though, that as a fiercely competitive athlete she'll be able to make an impact.

It'll help having Sharp there, as well as another teammate from the University of Calgary club. There are seven women from Canada in total headed to worlds. The national team coaches are also from Calgary, so both Yukoners will be very familiar with them, and it's likely Laverdure's main coach will make the trip to Baku as a training partner for the athletes.

Laverdure will remain in the 59-kg category for worlds and Sharp will wrestle in her regular 51-kg category. After the worlds, Laverdure will go back down to 55-kg while Sharp will drop to the 48-kg class before the Olympic trials next December.