Wiener takes all: professional glutton Joey Chestnut sets July 4 hot dog eating record

Chestnut downed 74 hot dogs in 10 minutes to retain the champion’s belt at Nathan’s Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest

Offbeat

Associated Press

Published: 7:34am, 5 Jul 2018

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Joey “Jaws” Chestnut extended his reign as champion eater at the Nathan’s Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest Wednesday, downing a record 74 wieners and buns in 10 minutes to take home the coveted Mustard Belt for an 11th time.

Miki Sudo held onto her title as the top women’s competitor at the annual Brooklyn eat-off, chomping 37 franks and buns to take home the top prize for an unprecedented fifth consecutive year.

“I found a vicious rhythm,” the 34-year-old Chestnut said after the stuffing session. “I was feeling good today.”

Joey Chestnut pauses for breath during the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. Photo: Agence France-Presse

Joey Chestnut (centre) competes in the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4. Photo: Agence France-Presse

But while Chestnut ate 10 more dogs and buns than second-place finisher Carmen Cincotti, a judging error cast initial doubt over their totals after jurists didn’t see the eaters were taking the dogs and buns from two plates.

“Frankly, the judging was just off,” George Shea, the long-time Coney Island announcer, told Associated Press. “Joey said, ‘look at my plates’ and Carmen said ‘look at my plates.’ We counted the plates that they had eaten and it was 64 and 74.”

Miki Sudo celebrates after winning the women's annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4 at Coney Island. Photo: Agence France-Presse

Eric Gonzalez, the Brooklyn district lawyer, certified the final tally and Chestnut’s record of 74, two more than he consumed last year.

“At the end of the day, Joey Chestnut came in here and ate 74 hot dogs, broke a world record,” said Cincotti, who celebrated his 26th birthday on Wednesday. “Apparently they were good dogs.”

A total of US$40,000 in prize money was up for grabs, with the first-place winners taking home US$10,000 each.

Sudo fell short of the 41 hot dogs she consumed last year, but easily beat out second-place finisher Mischelle Lesco of Tuscon, Arizona, who chowed down 28 wieners and buns.

Defending Nathan's Famous Men's Champion Joey Chestnut poses with 72 hot dogs during the weigh-in at the Empire State Building on Tuesday. Photo: AP

Thousands of attendees, many donning mustard-coloured hot dog caps, braved heatwave temperatures to witness the annual July Fourth competition on the Coney Island boardwalk. The outlandish tradition dates to 1972, though the company has long promoted what a former president acknowledged was a legendary start date of 1916.

Fan Martha Pleasant, 41, of Franklin, New Jersey, said she was attending the competitive eating competition to support her husband Dwight, who “loves wieners.”

“We are trying to knock something off my hubby’s bucket list,” she said.

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