Joey Chestnut wolfed down 62 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes to win the men’s competition of the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest for the 16th time Tuesday. The champion eater whose nickname is “Jaws” fell short of the record 76 hot dogs and buns that he set at the Independence Day event in 2021.
The men’s competition was delayed for nearly two hours Tuesday afternoon on New York’s Coney Island after thunderstorms hit the area. Asked about lighting strikes on Coney Island, the New York Fire Department told CBS News a person was hurt in an electrocution incident and was taken to a hospital.
Asked about the weather delay after the win, Chestnut said it was “a roller coaster, emotionally,” and that “everybody got messed up” by the wait.
He was hoping to break his 2021 record. “It didn’t come together,” he said, but he still felt great.
“I got leftover room, so I’m going to be having some beers later,” Chestnut said.
Chestnut, 39, secured his eighth straight win by a margin of 14 hot dogs and buns. Geoffrey Esper, 48, gobbled down 49 to come in second place, and James Webb, 34, finished off 47.
Earlier in the day, Miki Sudo put away 39.5 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes to win the women’s competition for the ninth time. Sudo fell short of breaking her own record of 48.5 hot dogs and buns, which she set at the Independence Day event in 2020.
Sudo, 37, faced stiff competition from Mayoi Ebihara, 27, who devoured 33.5 hot dogs and buns to finish in second place. Michelle Lesco, 39, finished in third place after eating 24.25 hot dogs and buns.
Sudo and Ebihara seemed to have finished much closer at the end of the livestreamed competition. As judges were tallying the official results, they chatted with each other, shook hands and hugged before Sudo was declared the winner.
Fifteen women tried to scarf down as many hot dogs and buns as they could late Tuesday morning on an outdoor stage set up on New York’s Coney Island near the area’s amusement park and boardwalk.
Last year, Sudo polished off 40 hot dogs and buns to win the contest.
