Joey Chestnut further cemented his legacy as the greatest competitive eater of all time, securing his 16th Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest victory on Tuesday. The annual Fourth of July tradition, held at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, saw Chestnut consume an impressive 62 hot dogs and buns in just 10 minutes.
Chestnut's performance, while dominant, fell short of his own world record of 76 hot dogs set in 2021. He started strong, downing five hot dogs in the first 30 seconds and maintaining a blistering pace of nearly seven hot dogs per minute at times. James Webb and Geoffrey Esper trailed behind, finishing with 47 and 49 hot dogs respectively.
The competition faced a two-hour delay due to inclement weather, but the determined eaters persevered, taking to the stage as soon as the sun peeked through the clouds.
Earlier in the day, Miki Sudo claimed her ninth title in the women's competition, consuming 39.5 hot dogs and buns. Sudo, ranked third overall and first among women, narrowly edged out Japan's Mayo Ebihara, who finished with 33.
Sudo's consistent dominance in the competition has been remarkable since her debut in 2014, only interrupted by a break in 2021 due to pregnancy. She returned triumphantly in 2022 to reclaim her title.
