Joey “Jaws” Chestnut reclaimed his title as the world’s top hot dog eater at the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July contest in New York, consuming 70 1/2 hot dogs and buns in just 10 minutes. The 41-year-old from Indiana overcame a contract dispute that kept him out of last year’s event to reclaim his spot on the coveted Mustard Belt.
Chestnut fell short of his record-breaking 76 hot dogs set in 2021 but still took home his 17th win in 20 appearances at the competition. Defending champion Miki Sudo from Florida won her 11th title, eating 33 hot dogs to beat a dozen competitors.
The event drew a large crowd outside Nathan’s Famous restaurant in Coney Island, Brooklyn, where Chestnut has been a regular competitor since 1972. Fans showed up to see him return after skipping last year due to a contract dispute with a competing brand, Impossible Foods.
“I love being here,” Chestnut said after his win. “I was able to train easily and push myself to beat the competition.” Last year’s second-place finisher Patrick Bertoletti of Chicago ate 46 1/2 hot dogs but fell short of Chestnut’s winning score.
Source: https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/45670825/joey-chestnut-reclaims-title-nathan-hot-dog-eating-contest