NEW YORK — Michael Phelps will be trying out a new freestyle technique when he returns to competition next month.

Phelps isn't revealing what he's changed, but he says the difference will be obvious once he takes his first stroke. Phelps was in New York on Wednesday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new store for longtime sponsor Omega.

He's set to race at the Charlotte UltraSwim on May 14-17. That would be his first meet since winning a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics.

Phelps plans to focus on shorter events, and the tweaks to his freestyle aim to increase his sprinting speed. He's also altered his weight training as he tries to get faster.