In what will likely be her last world championships as a competitive wrestler, Erica Sharp is hoping to go out with a bang.

The Yukoner, who now trains and competes out of the wrestling club at the University of Calgary, clinched a spot at the 2007 worlds in Baku, Azerbaijan, with a dominant performance this past weekend at the Canadian senior championships.

Sharp was also selected as the country's outstanding female wrestler for the fourth time in her career at the championships.

After disposing of Brock University's Liz Martindale in the first round, then defeating London's Terri McNutt, Sharp met a familiar foe in the final, as she aimed for another first-place ranking in the 51-kilogram class her ninth national title in total.

The 32-year-old took down Vancouver's Lyndsay Belisle, a 2006 world silver medalist, for the overall victory on Saturday.

'We've wrestled at probably four or five national championships, and about 12 times in total,' said Sharp, who knew exactly what to expect from Belisle. 'To toot my own horn, I've won against her more than I've lost. I think she's won three times.'

That's not to say Belisle, or the senior championships, was easy competition. Canadian women are some of the best wrestlers in the world, Sharp pointed out, often taking the top two or three spots in international competition.

'One thing about Canadian women is we have a lot of depth. I thought it was a pretty good tournament.

'There's definitely going to be a big turnaround in the next couple of years, from the older wrestlers to the younger ones, which is exciting but also sad at the same time.'

Before Sharp makes way for the new generation, she's taking one last shot at the Olympic Summer Games, this time in Beijing in 2008. The world championships are a step toward her ultimate goal, and she's hoping to bring back a medal.

'This will probably be my last worlds. I'm the oldest girl in Canadian wrestling, so one more Olympic trial for me and then I'm done. I would like to medal (at worlds). That's the big goal.'

Sharp will have to drop a weight class in order to compete in Beijing, since there are only 48-, 55-, 63- and 72-kg weight classes at the 2008 Games. She's right in between two of those categories, but will aim to drop the pounds instead of gain them.

'I'm going to stay at this weight until after the worlds, which are in September. The Olympic trials are in December in Toronto, so I'll be working my way to 48 for December.

'I'm probably about 10 per cent body fat at 54, 53 kilos, so there's not a lot to lose. After a while, you have to start losing muscle mass, which means you can lose strength, so it can be difficult.'

As Sharp prepares for the competitive year ahead, she'll keep training five days a week on the mat, as well as five days of weight training and lots of regular cardiovascular exercise.

She hasn't yet touched base with the head coach of the national team, but is expecting two trips overseas throughout the summer perhaps China and Austria.

Meanwhile, fellow Yukon wrestler Brittanee Laverdure also competed in the senior nationals this past weekend, representing the U of C.

Laverdure, who hails from Watson Lake, won silver in the women's 55-kg class.