NEW YORK (AP) — The Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest is back, and famed competitive eater Joey “Jaws” Chestnut is hoping for a comeback 17th win on Friday.
The 41-year-old, from Westfield, Indiana, was not in last year’s event due to a contract dispute involving a deal he struck with a competing brand, the plant-based meat company Impossible Foods. But now he’s back, saying things have been ironed out.
Patrick Bertoletti, of Chicago, won the title in Chestnut’s absence and is the defending men’s champion.
Defending champion Miki Sudo, 39, of Tampa, Florida, won the women’s competition and her 11th title on Friday, downing 33 dogs and buns. Last year, she consumed a record 51 dogs.
“I feel like I let the fans down a little bit. I heard people in the crowd saying, ‘Go for 52,’” Sudo told ESPN. “Obviously, I’m always setting my goals high, but the hot dogs weren’t cooperating. For some reason, the buns felt larger today.”
The annual gastronomic battle, which dates back to 1972, is held in front of the original Nathan’s Famous’ restaurant at New York’s Coney Island and draws large crowds of fans, many in foam hot dog hats.
Competitors in the men’s and women’s categories chow down as many hot dogs as possible in 10 minutes. They are allowed to dunk the dogs in cups of water to soften them up, creating a stomach-churning spectacle.
The 15 men in the competition hail from across the U.S. and internationally, including Australia, Czech Republic, Canada, England and Brazil.
The 13 women competitors are all Americans.
Chestnut set the world record of eating 76 wieners and buns in 10 minutes on July 4, 2021. He has won a record 16 Mustard Belts. Instead of appearing in New York last year, Chestnut ate 57 dogs — in only five minutes — in an exhibition with soldiers, in El Paso, Texas.
Chestnut told The Associated Press last month that while he was happy to compete at that event, he was “really happy to be back at Coney Island.”
Chestnut said he had never appeared in any commercials for Impossible Foods’ vegan hot dogs and that Nathan’s is the only hot dog company he has worked with. But he acknowledged he “should have made that more clear with Nathan’s.”
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