Saskatchewan defeats Winnipeg in Grey Cup

James Johnson set a Grey Cup record with three interceptions to help the Saskatchewan Roughriders beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 23-19 in Toronto on Sunday night for their first Canadian Football League title in 18 years.

The former Arkansas State player, selected the MVP of the game, returned his first interception 30 yards for a second-quarter touchdown, and sealed the game with about a minute left with his third.

Soccer

U.S. could meet Cuba in World Cup qualifying

Politics and soccer will mix in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, which can’t make FIFA happy.

South and North Korea will meet in Asian qualifying for the tournament, and the United States could face Cuba in the CONCACAF semifinals.

England also was drawn with the same Croatia team that stopped it from qualifying for the European Championship earlier in the week.

The qualifying draw for the 2010 World Cup on Sunday began the countdown to the event in South Africa, the first World Cup to be held in Africa.

Figure skating

Russian ice dancers glide to gold

Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin of Russia waltzed effortlessly to gold medals in ice dancing at the Cup of Russia in Moscow, holding the strong lead they had maintained throughout the competition.

Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat of France finished more than 20 points behind after the free dance in second place. Anna Zadorozhniuk and Sergei Verbillo of Ukraine took bronze.

Miscellany

Svindal wins men’s opening Super-G

Defending overall champion Aksel Lund Svindal won the season opening super-giant slalom at Lake Louise, Alberta, his second victory of the World Cup season.

The Norwegian star, the winner of the season-opening giant slalom in Solden, Austria, finished in 1 minute, 29.19 seconds. Austria’s Benjamin Raich was second in 1:29.63.

Steven Nyman was the top American, finishing 13th in 1:30.35.

•Austria’s Marlies Schild raced to her second straight slalom victory, beating world champion Sarka Zahrobska of the Czech Republic by 0.68 seconds at Panorama Mountain Village, British Columbia.

Resi Stiegler was the top American, finishing ninth in 1:41.68.

•Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Juan Lara was involved in a serious car accident in the Dominican Republic that left him hospitalized with unknown injuries, a team spokesman said.

Lara was returning from a winter league game Saturday night in San Pedro de Macoris when the sports utility vehicle he was driving was hit by a speeding motorcycle, instantly killing the two people on the motorcycle, Indians spokesman Bart Swain said.

•The United States rallied from a set down to defeat Tunisia at the men’s volleyball World Cup in Okayama, Japan.

The Americans improved to 4-2 while Tunisia dropped to 1-5. The top three teams in the tournament will qualify for next year’s Beijing Olympics.

•American swimmer Randall Bal won the 50-meter backstroke in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, to clinch first place in the overall short-course World Cup final.

Bal clocked 23.62 seconds to total 186 points and take home $100,000 in prize money.

The event Sunday was the seventh and last meet of the five-week competition held in seven cities.

•Admire Moon took the lead in the stretch and then held off three rivals to win the $4.6 million Japan Cup Turf at Tokyo Racecourse.