Contestants ready for Nathan’s hot dog eating contest
Joey Chestnut devoured 62 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes and won the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest men’s contest Tuesday for the 16th time. The champion eater, nicknamed “Jaws,” fell short of a record of 76 hot dogs and buns he set at the 2021 Independence Day event.
The men’s competition was postponed by almost two hours on Tuesday afternoon at New York’s Coney Island after thunderstorms ravaged the area. When asked about lightning strikes at Coney Island, the New York City Fire Department told CBS News that one person was electrocuted and taken to a hospital.
When asked about the weather-related delay after the win, Chestnut said it was “an emotional roller coaster ride” and the wait “got everyone confused”.
Defending champion Joey Chestnut cheers after winning first place in the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York on July 4, 2023. Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images
He had hoped to break his 2021 record but just barely managed to match the 63 hot dogs and buns he devoured last year. “It didn’t work out,” he said, but he still felt great.
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“I’ve got room left, so I’ll have a few beers later,” Chestnut said.
In his eighth consecutive win, Chestnut burned an estimated 18,600 calories. As for his 4th of July dinner? “There’s a liquid diet tonight,” he said.
Chestnut, 39, won by a margin of 14 hot dogs and buns. Geoffrey Esper, 48, gobbled up 49 points to finish second and James Webb, 34, finished with 47 points.
Earlier in the day, Miki Sudo managed 39.5 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes to win the women’s competition for the ninth time. Sudo failed to break her own record of 48.5 hot dogs and buns set at the 2020 Independence Day event.
Miki Sudo attends the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island on July 4, 2023 in New York City. Portal/Amr Alfiky
Sudo, 37, faced stiff competition from Mayoi Ebihara, 27, who gobbled up 33.5 hot dogs and buns to take second place. Michelle Lesco, 39, took third place after eating 24.25 hot dogs and buns.
After Sudo won, she said her last tally wasn’t an integer because neither she nor Lesco believed it was theirs. Officials eventually concluded they were Sudos.
“I just want people to know that I wouldn’t have left any part of the hot dog on the table,” she said.
Sudo and Ebihara appeared to have been much closer at the end of the livestream competition, with unofficial results separating them by 1. Sudo said Ebihara’s eating style caught her eye during the event. “I watched them, which I never want to do,” she said.
As the judges evaluated the official results, they chatted, shook hands, and hugged before Sudo was declared the winner.
Fifteen women tried to eat as many hot dogs and buns as they could late Tuesday morning at an outdoor stage at Coney Island in New York, near the amusement park and boardwalk.
Last year, Sudo ate 40 hot dogs and buns to win the competition.
Mayoi Ebihara (left) and Miki Sudo attend the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island on July 4, 2023 in New York City. Portal/Amr Alfiky
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Alex Sundby