Pope Benedict XVI wears the Rome 2009 FINA Swimming World Championships hat during a special audience he granted to the athletes of the Swimming World Championships.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday met athletes participating in the swimming world championships in Rome and urged them to act as role models for fellow youths "in sports and in life."

Benedict blessed and shook hands with athletes in the courtyard of his summer residence of Castel Gandolfo in the hills outside Rome, and praised their "exciting performance."

He playfully put on sports hats the athletes gave him and triumphantly raised a plush green frog — the mascot of the Rome championships.

Among those handing the gifts to Benedict were fellow German Paul Biedermann, who beat American Michael Phelps in the 200-meter freestyle on Tuesday, and Italy's double gold medallist Federica Pellegrini. The two also gave Benedict an Italy and a Germany jersey, and Biedermann's was autographed by his teammates.

Though Phelps was invited, he skipped the audience to rest before his final individual race of the world championships later Saturday.

Benedict blessed the crowd of about 100 athletes, organizers and volunteers using his right hand, encased in a cast since he fell and broke his wrist two weeks ago while vacationing in the Italian Alps.

In a speech, he praised the athletes for choosing to train hard and make sacrifices to succeed in sports.

"With your competitions you offer to the world an exciting performance of discipline and humanity, artistic beauty and tenacious will," Benedict said. "You, dear athletes, are models for your fellow youths and your example can be decisive in positively building their future. Therefore, be champions in sports and in life!"