Sideline Sid Sports correspondent & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

Last weekend was a couch potatoes heaven with multiple live sport action broadcast on Sky, with two international events staged in this country, keeping Sideline Sid glued to his television set.

Just over the hill in Cambridge, the UCI Track Cycling World Cup stopped off at the Cambridge Velodrome on its latest world circuit. Honk Kong two weeks ago, was followed by the Waikato event before moving on to Brisbane next weekend.

Eight Kiwi medals including five gold, had the New Zealand fans in a frenzy during the three days of competition.

There are few sports that are more exciting than track cycling, where the spectators are right on top of the action as the cyclists roar around the track.

The variety of races grabs the fans attention. Much of the racing is based upon sprints and team pursuits. However specialist races, include the Kieran, where the several competitors trail a motor cycle for a couple of laps before roaring around the track to be the first over the finish line.

New Zealand won gold in the Madison, where teams of two slingshot their partner into action at the change of riders, attempting to snatch points on designated laps.

The Omnium is like a decathlon, with participants racing in scratch, tempo, elimination and points races. The elimination race is a fearful race for survival with the last cyclist when the bell is rung, being eliminated from the competition, until the individual race winner is found.

Just up State Highway One from Cambridge, the World 49ers, 49erFX and Nacra 17 sailing championships took place on the Waitemata Harbour.

New Zealand 49er Olympic and multiple world champions, Tauranga's Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, put on a vintage display to clinch their fifth world crown. The flying skiffs raced around the course highlighted by some brilliant camera work and commentary.

Challenging weather and water conditions greeted competitors in Sunday's medal races. The Kiwi pair overcame a hiccup, when Burling was tossed into the water in the final race, to take out another world title in style in front of an enthusiastic home crowd.

One event that Sideline Sid passed over was the boxing world heavyweight fight on Sunday morning. Sid decided that he had better uses for 35 bucks than to watch the pay-for-view event, which had boring written all over it.

It was inevitable that former Olympic champion Anthony Joshua, would regain the multiple world championship belts against tub of lard Andy Ruiz. The Mexican who got lucky in their first meeting, couldn't counter the stick and move tactics of Joshua, who received the judges’ nod in practically every round.