Yao Ming, David Beckham, TigerWoods and Lance Armstrong are among the athletes selected to Time Magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Also selected are British marathoner Paula Radcliffe, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick and yoga teacher B.K.S. Iyengar.

On Woods, the magazine said: "When only four golfers have won more majors than you have at 28, honors like five straight Player of the Year awards are no longer good enough ... He's the rare phenom who exceeded the hype."

Armstrong overcame testicular cancer and has won the Tour de France five times. "If Armstrong wins the Tour de France again this summer, he will establish a new standard for the sport," the magazine wrote.

Phil Simms, the former New York Giants quarterback, profiled Belichick, who guided the Patriots to the Super Bowl title: "He's not as dull as people think. Heck, he goes to Bon Jovi concerts."