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LONDON - The moment he touched the wall, Benoit Huot released the emotions that had built over the last four years. When competitors started eclipsing him in Paralympic swimming in 2008, Huot refused to concede his race was run. The Montreal athlete re-dedicated himself to his sport. Huot won Canadas first medal of the 2012 Paralympic Games with an exclamation mark. The 28-year-old captured gold in the 200 individual medley and broke his own world record Thursday. Huot leaned back in the water and looked up with a face etched in joy and relief following his race. During his post-race interviews, when Princes Astrid of Belgium hung the medal around his neck and while O Canada played, Huot would erupt in tears. It was Huots ninth career gold medal, but first since 2004 when he dominated the Paralympics in Athens with five victories. Expecting another run of gold in 2008, Huot did not step on the top of the podium in Beijing. Instead, he returned to Canada with four bronze. Huot had set a world record in the 200 I.M. at trials in March in Montreal. He lowered it by a quarter of a second Thursday to two minutes 10.01 seconds. Huot beat his chief rivals Andre Brasil of Brazil and Rick Pendleton of Australia by more than a body length. Brasil took the pace out hard in butterfly, but Huot reeled the Brazilian in and passed him on the breaststroke leg. "I went to Beijing the world champion, world-record holder expecting to win that gold medal and I came third," Huot said. "It was a difficult circumstance. It was really hard, but what happened in Beijing gave me that motivation and energy to come back for another four years. "Yes, its great to have a medal tonight, but what Im the most proud of is those four years and the process to get to where I am today. I became a better person and a better athlete because of what happened in Beijing." Summer Mortimer of Ancaster, Ont., earned silver in the womens 200 I.M., so Canada finished the first day of competition with two medals. The Canadian teams objective is top eight in the gold-medal count. The country was seventh in Beijing with 19 gold. Both Huot and Mortimer race in the S10 classification which is defined as minimal physical impairment. Huot, who was born with club feet, was one of the faces of the Canadian Paralympic team prior to London with 16 career Paralympic medals. The 17th felt sweetly satisfying for the University of Quebec communications student because of everything hed put into winning it. "It was a long road back and theres a lot of athletes who could have walked away after Beijing and been done with it," swim team coach Craig McCord said. "From where he was four years ago, this is a huge crawl back and he threw down on some guys who have thrown down (on him). "The first event of the meet, he was sending a message to the other guys out there that guys Im here to play hard." Huot, a four-time Paralympian, will compete in the 100 backstroke, 400 freestyle and 100 freestyle next week. Mortimer raced her first Paralympic final and finished second to New Zealands Sophie Pascal, who had set a world record in the morning heats. Mortimer, 19, also has clubbed feet because of injuries and subsequent surgeries from a trampoline accident in 2008. She bounced off the trampoline and landed on a cement pad. She had competed in Canadas Olympic swim trials for Beijing just prior to the accident and was a prospect for the London Olympics. So to be in the city as a Paralympian following her accident was as moving for her as Huots victory was for him. "Im a super-emotional person," Mortimer said. "I walked in this morning and I was screaming and tonight before my race I was bawling my eyes out for like half an hour. So Im good now. Not a best time, silver medal, but Sophie Pascal was incredible. "Being here and meeting all these people made me realize I am so incredible grateful for the experience Ive had as a result of my accident. I dont know if this was part of the journey I was supposed to walk in life but I wouldnt take it back for the world. "For the able-bodied people at home watching, I hope they gain some respect for me again because the Paralympics is so much harder than the able-bodied side of sport." Mortimer is a gold-medal contender in Fridays 50-metre freestyle if she can manage the pain in her feet. The cool, damp, windy London weather makes the eight pins in her feet and the metal plate in her left one ache fiercely. "My feet are killing me," she said. "Im dying right now standing here talking to you guys." In other swim finals Thursday, Montreals Aurelie Rivard was sixth in the 200 individual medley and Calgarys Brianna Nelson finished eighth in 100 backstroke. With 15 medals the target, the swim teams performance will be crucial to Canadas overall success. In other medal events, Marie-Claude Molnar of Lemoyne, Que., was fourth in track cycling in the womens individual C4 pursuit. Calgarys Brayden McDougall was 12th in the mens C1-2-3 time trial at the track, with Calgarys Jaye Milley and Arnold Boldt of Osler, Sask., 25th and 26th respectively. Elsewhere, the mens wheelchair basketball team opened with a 68-53 victory over Japan and faces host Britain in its next preliminary-round game Friday. The mens goalball team fell 4-2 to Belgium in its opener. Cheap Jerseys USA . It was Barcelonas league-record 15th victory in 16 rounds and came just after floundering Madrid had conceded in the final minutes to draw 2-2 at home with the Catalan clubs crosstown rival Espanyol. "This league is ours to lose," said Barcelona defender Gerard Pique. Cheap Jerseys From China . Seventh-seeded Marion Bartoli of France also cruised into the second round of the indoor clay tournament, beating qualifier Iveta Benesova of Czech Republic 6-3, 6-2. http://www.dancewithmeusa.com/hot.html . If Landis fails to repay them in three years, federal prosecutors may pursue a single count of wire fraud, exposing him to up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Phillip Halpern, an assistant U.S. attorney, persuaded a judge to release Landis without bail following the federal grand jury investigation. NEW YORK -- Jose Valverde wont close for the Detroit Tigers in Game 2 of the AL championship series but manager Jim Leyland says the reliever is keeping his role for now. "I guess that sounds like I am mud watching, but I am really not. I still consider him the closer, but he will not close the game," Leyland said. "We will do some work with him." Valverde allowed a tying two-run double to Oaklands Seth Smith on Wednesday in Game 4 of the AL division series as Detroit lost 4-3, then gave up two-run homers in the ninth inning to the Yankees Ichiro Suzuki and Raul Ibanez in Saturdays ALCS opener. Detroit rebounded to win 6-4 in 12 innings. After converting all 49 save chances during the 2011 regular season, the 34-year-old right-hander was 35 for 40 this year. Leylaand and pitching coach Jeff Jones were examining Valverdes delivery at 3 a.ddddddddddddm. "It is way too slow. The tempo is not good at all," Leyland said. "I dont even know if I am right about it, I probably shouldnt say it, but I will say it anyway, it almost appears to me that it looks like he is kind of waiting for something bad to happen. And I dont know if I am accurate on that, I may be totally wrong. But sometimes when you read a player, you can see that hes not quite as confident. And he is normally very confident. But I think there is something to this mechanical part of that. I definitely think that." He planned to decide on his closer Sunday based on matchups. "I cannot give you one name. I have a suggestion box down by my office," Leyland said. ' ' '