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sports Tuesday 12 July 2022
AP Exclusive: New skate blade for off-ice training unveiled

By STEPHEN WHYNO former QB Jason Johnson
AP Hockey Writer and co-founder called "a
In almost two decades of dumbbell for your feet" —
training NHL players, Kelly was developed with assis-
Riou tried just about every- tance from inventor and
thing to help them repli- entrepreneur Zenon Dra-
cate the unnatural motion gan, known for develop-
of skating when they're off ing drone technology and
the ice. having one of his featured
He believes he has now in the Smithsonian's Air and
found it, with the help of a Space Museum.
retired quarterback and a Riou said it helps players
drone engineer, and hopes move their legs in and out
it revolutionizes the way off the ice like skating bet-
hockey players at all levels ter than using a towel or
train in the gym. His Alien something else to provide
Kinetics company unveiled resistance.
DriBlades and accompa- Acknowledging how hard
nying weighted slide Mon- it is to translate gym work
day following develop- to the ice, McNabb said
ment and testing involving he got hooked on using the
a handful of NHL players DriBlades.
who work with Riou. "All those little muscles you
"It's been on my mind to Vegas Golden Knights NHL hockey team defenseman Brayden McNabb works out in DriBlades can't get to unless you
that were developed for off-ice training for hockey players, at Kelly Riou’s Next Level Training
close the gap to allow guys Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Thursday, June 16, 2022. are on ice, you can tar-
to train and give strength Associated Press get," McNabb said. "After
coaches, skating coaches I stepped on the ice, I no-
a little bit more of an ac- develop — those weren't Knights teammate Brayden ery inch of your blades, has ticed an immediate dif-
curate tool for this crazy lo- close enough." McNabb, Kole Lind of the been great," Stephenson ference." Johnson, who
comotion of skating," Riou Players pop out the regular Seattle Kraken and Lane said. "It's like having a driv- played at the University
told The Associated Press. blades and can replace Pederson of the San Jose ing range for hockey. It's of Arizona and then three
"Because of the demands them with the DriBlades Sharks. He raved about the just been crazy to feel the seasons in the Canadian
of the game, this should've to do lifting and other dry- benefits. toes, the heels, the whole Football League, said the
been around before me, land workouts. Already one "Everything I've done be- sole of your foot. This has most common responses
truthfully, because the of the best skaters in the fore that's 'hockey-related' made me better because from those who tried the
BOSU balls, the unstable league, Stanley Cup cham- has been on the ice, so it makes you feel more blades were, "Why didn't
surfaces — other measures pion Chandler Stephenson to have something off-ice grounded." we have this 20 years ago?"
we use to really try to fa- has tried them out, along where you can break down The metal skate insert and and "Why haven't I always
cilitate or help the player with current Vegas Golden even more, to work on ev- the Abductor slide — which been using this?"q

Federer unranked for 1st time in 25 years; Djokovic to No. 7

By HOWARD FENDRICH Shortly after that loss, Fe- earned at Wimbledon in
AP Tennis Writer derer had his third opera- 2021, while not gaining any
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) tion on his right knee in a benefit from how they per-
— Roger Federer dropped span of about 18 months. formed during this fortnight.
out of the ATP rankings en- Federer, who turns 41 on So Elena Rybakina's first
tirely for the first time in a Aug. 8, intends to make his Grand Slam title did her
quarter-century on Mon- return to tournament play no good in the WTA rank-
day, while Novak Djokovic in his native Switzerland in ings; she remained at No.
slid four spots to No. 7 a day October and said during 23, where she became the
after winning Wimbledon an appearance at Centre second-lowest women's
for the seventh time. Court last weekend that he champion at the grass-
Federer had appeared in hopes he can play at Wim- court tournament in the
the singles rankings every bledon next year. professional era, which be-
week since he made his Djokovic's drop and that of gan in 1968.
debut at age 16 in Septem- runner-up Nick Kyrgios from The woman she beat in Sat-
ber 1997, tied for 803rd, and No. 40 to No. 45 despite urday's final, Ons Jabeur,
held the record for most reaching the first Grand went from No. 2 to No. 5, Serbia's Novak Djokovic and Switzerland's Roger Federer ap-
plaud during a 100 years of Centre Court celebration on day
time at No. 1 until Djokovic Slam final of his career are even though this was her seven of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sun-
broke it. a result of the decisions by best showing at a major. day, July 3, 2022.
Federer was 97th before the WTA and ATP to not Last year's losing finalist, Associated Press
play began at the All Eng- award any ranking points Karolina Pliskova, fell eight
land Club but now has zero for Wimbledon in response spots to No. 15, and some No. 10, and French Open Daniil Medvedev, who is
points because the rank- to the All England Club's women who moved ahead runner-up Coco Gauff at Russian, stayed atop the
ings are based on a play- ban on athletes from Russia of her achieved their ca- No. 11. men's rankings after not
er's results over the previ- and Belarus over the war in reer highs on Monday, in- French Open champi- being allowed to compete
ous 52 weeks — and he has Ukraine. cluding Australian Open on Iga Swiatek, whose at Wimbledon. He won last
not competed at all since On Monday, Djokovic, Kyr- runner-up Danielle Collins 37-match winning streak year's U.S. Open and was
reaching the Wimbledon gios and all other players at No. 7, U.S. Open cham- ended in Wimbledon's third the runner-up at this year's
quarterfinals a year ago. lost whatever points they pion Emma Raducanu at round, remained at No. 1. Australian Open.q