NEW YORK (BN24) — Joey “Jaws” Chestnut reclaimed his crown Friday at the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in New York City, wolfing down 71 hot dogs in 10 minutes to reassert his dominance on Coney Island’s famed stage.
The 41-year-old competitive eating icon from Indiana returned to the event after a high-profile absence in 2024, when his sponsorship deal with plant-based food maker Impossible Foods led organizers to bar him from competing.
Back in front of roaring July Fourth crowds, Chestnut showed no signs of rust as he methodically worked through tray after tray of hot dogs, clinching the coveted Mustard Belt — his 17th Nathan’s title overall.
“Lots of people told me I was part of their Fourth of July and they missed me,” Chestnut told ESPN moments after his win. “I guaranteed I’d try hard, and I didn’t want to let people down.”
Chestnut entered the contest as the clear favorite, holding the all-time record of 76 hot dogs and buns, set in 2021. Though he fell short of that benchmark Friday, he easily outpaced the field.
Last year’s champion, Patrick Bertoletti, finished a distant second with 46 hot dogs consumed.
In the women’s division, defending champion Miki Sudo retained her title by eating 33 hot dogs and buns, well shy of the women’s record she set last year at 51. Sudo acknowledged her slower start but credited experience and determination for her recovery.
“I might have stumbled out of the gate, but when things are tough, you get back up and you keep going,” she said in her post-contest interview. Michelle Lesco placed second with 22.75 hot dogs.
The Nathan’s contest, held every Independence Day since 1980, has become a fixture of American holiday tradition, drawing thousands of spectators to Surf Avenue and a national television audience captivated by the spectacle of gastronomic endurance.
