Joey Chestnut may have made a big entrance in Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating on Monday walking on crutches. But after another thrilling performance in front of a Coney Island audience, Chestnut had enough fans willing to banish him from the stage he had just taken over — once again.
A torn chestnut tendon, along with a series of personal setbacks including the loss of his “first coach” mother, Alicia, didn’t deter the 38-year-old champ, who devoured 63 sausages in 10 minutes on Monday in the annual season. Independence Day event. Despite falling short of his own record of 76 dogs ate last year, Chestnut has put up another clinic to claim the mustard belt.
Chestnut, who goes by the name “Jaws,” has won seven straight and 15 of the last 16 hot dog eating competitions since he beat six-time champion Takeru Kobayashi in 2007, his only loss in 2015 to Matt Stoney.
In his career, Chestnut has now eaten a record 1,152 hot dogs combined. It has become a norm that Chestnut does not necessarily fight others, but his world records from previous years’ competitions.
“Most athletes have two types of primes,” Chestnut told USA TODAY Sports before his win on Monday. “Their first prime is when their body is the best. I’m past this month. The second prime is when their mind and knowledge are at their best, where you know your body and how you train. Less but fully prepared. I’m there now.”
“I still go for 80”:Towards the end of his career, sausage-eating champion Joey Chestnut has big goals
In the women’s division earlier in the day, Miki Sudou regained her title after taking a year off to get pregnant. The 36-year-old, despite suffering a wrist injury, ate 40 sausages and was just under her best of 48.5 francs.
Two years after it was moved from its iconic Coney Island location in Brooklyn due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year’s contest Finally back at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues at Nathan’s Famous on Coney Island. Thousands were in full throttle to take in the Independence Day holiday and chant to eat hot dogs, with many runners getting excited – a luxury that hasn’t fully existed since 2019. The annual sausage-eating contest has been. It has been held – rainy or sunny – every year since 1916.
