Return of the Food Fighter Champion: Joey Chestnut Devours 70 Hot Dogs in 10 Minutes in U.S. Contest

Joey Chestnut Wins 16th Title at the Competition
Women's Champion Eats 33 Hot Dogs in 10 Minutes

At this year's international "hot dog eating" competition held in the United States, renowned "food fighter" Joey Chestnut (41), who has won the title a total of 16 times, reclaimed the champion's belt that he lost last year.

According to CBS on the 4th (local time), Chestnut won the Nathan's International Hot Dog Eating Contest held at Coney Island amusement park in Brooklyn, New York, on U.S. Independence Day by devouring an astonishing 70.5 hot dogs in 10 minutes. The runner-up was last year's champion Patrick Bertoletti (27), who ate 46.5 hot dogs, 24 fewer than Chestnut.

On the 4th (local time), Joey Chestnut won the hot dog eating contest held in Coney Island, New York, USA. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

Chestnut, a famous food fighter nicknamed "Jaws," has now claimed the championship a total of 16 times since his first victory in 2007. As the iconic figure of this contest, Chestnut did not participate last year after entering into a partnership with Impossible Foods, a company that makes vegan hot dogs, which led to a conflict with Nathan's. In his remarks after winning the contest, Chestnut said, "I was really excited and happy to compete," and added, "I thought I could eat more, so I feel sorry for my friends. I will compete again next year."

The women's division champion Miki Sudo is eating a hot dog. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News.

In the women's division, Miki Sudo (39) won by eating 33 hot dogs. With this victory, Sudo claimed her 11th hot dog champion title. In her remarks after winning, Sudo said, "The hot dogs were great, the weather was perfect, and the crowd really energized me, but the hot dog buns seemed to be a bit more filling than usual," expressing some regret.

This contest, hosted by American food company Nathan's, is held amid not only nationwide but also global attention, to the extent that it is broadcast live on the sports channel ESPN. The competition, which began in 1916, has a tradition spanning nearly 110 years and is held annually on July 4, U.S. Independence Day. The format of the contest is for participants to compete to see how many hot dogs, including buns, they can eat in 10 minutes. The official all-time record for this contest is 76 hot dogs, set by Chestnut in 2021. The women's record is 51 hot dogs, set by Miki Sudo in 2023.