Joey Chestnut reclaimed his spot atop the competitive eating throne Friday by winning the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest after a sponsorship dispute kept him away from his trademark event last year.
Chestnut scarfed 70.5 hot dogs en route to an emphatic return to the Independence Day staple on Coney Island, New York, that he has now won 17 times.
“I love being here, and as soon as I knew I was gonna be here, it was easy to train,” the champion told ESPN with the Mustard Belt slung over his shoulder.
Patrick Bertoletti, last year’s champ, placed second with 46.5 dogs and James Webb took third with 45.5.
Chestnut, 41, missed last year’s event after entering a sponsorship with Impossible Foods, a vegan food supplier and competitor to Nathan’s dogs.
The legend’s absence opened the door for Bertoletti to chomp his way to the title by eating 58 franks in 2024.
It was the first time since 2015 that Chestnut didn’t win the event that has made him a fixture of the nation’s Fourth of July festivities.
Chestnut, who was born in Kentucky and grew up in California, still holds the record for most hot dogs consumed during the 10-minute competition when he inhaled 76 wieners in 2021.
On the women’s side, reigning champion Miki Sudo defended the Pink Belt by gulping down 33 hot dogs.
While not Sudo’s best performance — she downed a record 51 dogs last year — the 39-year-old Floridian has won every women’s July Fourth Coney Island contest she’s competed in since 2014.
She missed the event in 2021 while she was pregnant.
“I wasn’t the fastest out of the gate, but I’m known for my consistency, so that really wasn’t a concern of mine,” Sudo said. “I guess I refused to lose, I refuse to give up, and when I do stumble, I get right back up, so here we are for the 11th time.”
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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