Joey “Jaws” Chestnut emerged victorious once again at the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest despite a rain delay. Consuming an impressive 62 franks and buns in just 10 minutes, Chestnut secured his eighth consecutive Mustard Belt and 16th overall. Geoffrey Esper, the runner-up, managed to ingest 49 hot dogs and buns. In the women’s competition, Miki Sudo defended her title by consuming 39½ hot dogs and buns, earning her ninth Mustard Belt. Prior to the start of the men’s contest, stormy weather caused a two-hour delay, leaving Chestnut uncertain whether the competition would proceed. Nevertheless, he persevered and reflected on the emotional roller coaster the delay brought about.
Joey Chestnut’s past victories include consuming 63 hot dogs and buns in 2022, although his achievement was marred by an interruption from a protester dressed as Darth Vader, whom Chestnut swiftly subdued before security intervened. While his personal best stands at 76 hot dogs in 2021, this year’s weather disruption prevented a repeat performance.
Sudo’s triumph over Mayoi Ebihara was a closely contested event, with the two competitors appearing tied throughout much of the competition. Ultimately, Sudo prevailed by a significant margin, but her winning total fell nine hot dogs short of her all-time high. She attributed her slight setback to being momentarily distracted by Ebihara’s performance.
Participants from various countries, including England, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Brazil, and Australia, joined the annual contest on Coney Island.
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