23 Apr 2009

Phelps to change style

6:22 pm on 23 April 2009

The American swim star 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 is set to race in North Carolina next month, which will 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.

Phelps was suspended for 3 months earlier this year after a photo appeared of him inhaling from a marijuana pipe