Joey Chestnut once again proved that he is the "Jaws" of competitive eating, winning his record-breaking 16th Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on Monday in time for the Fourth of July.
A storm delayed the contest, threatening to cancel the annual Independence Day competition, but Chestnut did not seem affected.
Joey Chestnut Wins Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
In a display of unmatched gastronomic prowess, the competitive eater Chestnut has once again left the world in awe. According to CNN, he devoured his way to victory at the iconic Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, clinching his 16th title.
As the rain poured on Coney Island, the 39-year-old competitive eater showcased his incredible feat of consuming a staggering number of hot dogs in a jaw-dropping display of sheer determination and an iron stomach. He ate 62 hotdogs and buns in merely 10 minutes while the crowd chanted his name.
As per the New York Post, Chestnut, the 16-time champion, says, "I feel great. I feel like I [have not] eaten."
In the first two minutes of the heated competition, the 16-time champ have already gobbled 22 hot dogs, way ahead of other competitive eaters vying to win the annual contest.
As ESPN reports, "Jaws" had his best eating record in 2021, wherein he ate 75 hot dogs. Last year, or in 2022, to be exact, he competitive eater gobbled 63 hot dogs. However, it is worth noting that a protester donning a Darth Vader costume interrupted his hot dog-eating stunt and gave him a headlock.
Stormy Weather Initially Canceled the Event
Meanwhile, in the women's competition, Miki Sudo reigned supreme for the 9th straight time in the annual Fourth of July event. She impressively ate a staggering 39.5 hotdogs for 10 minutes in this year's festivities.
Sudo outpaced Mayoi Ebihara, who ate 33.5 hot dogs in merely 10 minutes under the women's competition. This year's champ told ESPN that her tally disappointed her since it was nine hot dogs behind her record in 2022.
Sudo admits that her competitor, Ebihara, had distracted her during the intense competition. "The first couple minutes, I found myself watching her, which I never want to do. I never want to be distracted by the other competitors," the competitive eater says.
The event organizers initially canceled the annual competition since it was raining cats and dogs. However, they backed track their decision later, allowing Chestnut and Sudo to defend their titles after hours of delay. CNN notes that the weather delay ate up about two hours from the annual competition before it started.
