On Thursday, Patrick Bertoletti a 39-yearold Chicago native chocked down 58 hotdogs in 10-minutes to win his men’s title at the annual Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest. While reigning champion Miki Sudo set a new world record of 51 hotdogs to win her tenth victory in the women’s tournament.
The current men’s champion, Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, who has won 16 of the last 17 events, opted not to attend this years Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July event due to a disagreement with his sponsor. Instead he competed later in the day against four soldiers at a U.S. Army base in El Paso, Texas, where he wolfed down 57 hot dogs in five minutes, AP reported.
The 39-year-old Chicagoan Bertoletti beat out thirteen international rivals in a close 10-minute race in which the lead changed hands multiple times. He claimed to have trained for the event for three months with “an urgency” and shed pounds in the belief that he could win.
According to Bertoletti, “I knew I had a shot” when Joey was not present. “I found a way to open something, but I have no idea what it was.”
At the annual Independence Day festival on New York’s Coney Island, a beachside attraction featuring amusement parks and summer atmosphere, Bertoletti shattered his previous record of 55 hot dogs in 10 minutes.
New World Record Set
Earlier, in the women’s division, 38-year-old Florida dental hygiene student Sudo maintained her dominant performance and set a new record, following her successful consumption of 39 1/2 hot dogs in 2023.
“I’m just happy to call this mine for another year,” Sudo remarked after winning the pink belt.
Mayoi Ebihara of Japan, a 28-year-old participant, finished second after devouring 37 hot dogs, but Sudo still managed to overcome 13 of her rivals. She finished in second place in 2023 as well.
In the men’s division, Sudo consumed more hot dogs than her competitor, Nicholas Wehry, a former Florida bodybuilder. Wehry ate 46 hot dogs. This is the first time since 2015 that the prestigious mustard belt has not gone to Chestnut; Bertoletti does it.
Every year, thousands of people gather outside the original Nathan’s on Coney Island for the event, with some donning foam hot dog hats. Even without Chestnut, the event drew a large crowd, according to Rich Shea, CEO of Major League Eating, who organized the gathering.
According to him, the well-known eating champion is “just a great competitor, a great guy, a grown man, and a man who’s made a choice not to be here today” (ESPN). Tens of thousands of people are swarming around Nathan’s Famous, which is quite lucky for us. It’s an annual journey. You won’t find a paid Hollywood crew here.
Contestants from around the world
With hopefuls from Brazil, Japan, the UK, South Korea, Australia, and the Czech Republic among the more than a dozen states and five continents competing for the prestigious title and $10,000 reward money, the event was truly global in scope.
Chewing his way to victory last year, Chestnut of Indiana devoured 62 dogs and buns in under 10 minutes. He set the record in 2021 with 76.
An earlier decision to not invite Chestnut stemmed from his sponsorship arrangement with plant-based meat alternative company Impossible Foods, which ran ads on ESPN during Thursday’s event.
Chestnut chose to celebrate the holiday with the military despite Major League Eating’s subsequent statement that it rescinded the prohibition. If the Coney Island contest did not accept his apologies, Chestnut threatened to withdraw from it.
Joey “Jaws” Chestnut downs 57 hotdogs
An Army base, which is not easily accessible by the public, was the site of the El Paso incident. Despite this, a few hundred Chestnut supporters turned out, with some donning hotdogs costumes and one sporting a “Let Joey eat” T-shirt. Out of the four men from Fort Bliss, who consumed a total of 49, Chestnut managed to consume 57 hotdogs.
Chestnut had voiced his concern before the show that he would struggle to perform without the enthusiastic backing of the Coney Island audience. However, he later claimed to have achieved a “record-setting pace.”
Speaking to the Fort Bliss crowd, Chestnut expressed his admiration for them after paying tribute to his family’s military service: his father, grandfather, and brother. “You all gave me a tremendous push, and I’m really grateful.”
Despite the non-inclusion of Impossible Foods’ vegan products in the competition, the company served as event sponsor. Along with Chestnut and officials from the charity Operation Homefront, who assist military families, company CEO Peter McGuinness made an appearance on stage. He gave the group a check for $106,000, or $1,000 for every hot dog consumed.
Source: The Associated Press
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