Defending champion Miki Sudo wins women’s division of Nathan’s annual hot dog eating contest

CONEY ISLAND, N.Y. ( WPIX ) – Dental hygiene student Miki Sudo of Florida has won her 10th women’s title at the annual Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest.

On Thursday, Sudo consumed 51 hot dogs in 10 minutes and set a new world record for women.

The 38-year-old defending champion last year won after eating 39 1/2 hot dogs, while her personal best is 48 1/2, the women’s world record.

She defeated 13 competitors from around the world, including 28-year-old rival rival Mayoi Ebihara of Japan. Ebihara came in second after eating 37 hot dogs in 10 minutes. She was also the runner-up in 2023.

Competitors have come from over a dozen states and five continents, with prospects from Brazil, Japan, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Australia and the Czech Republic vying for the coveted title in men’s and women’s divisions and $10,000 prize money.

This year, male fan favorite Joey Chestnut did not return to the all-beef stage after winning by a whopping 13 hot dogs and buns last year. The Major League Eating great will instead compete against soldiers in El Paso, Texas .

Organizers of the Nathan’s event initially said he couldn’t attend due to a sponsorship conflict, which Chestnut said involved a deal with Impossible Foods, which makes plant-based hot dogs.

Chestnut said he was “ gutted ” he couldn’t compete in the event in Coney Island, where he said he loved the atmosphere and the sometimes-sweltering crowds.

It’s a loss so great even New York City Mayor Eric Adams weighed in.

“Stop being such weenies,” Adams said of Chestnut and the league on X. “Let’s find a way to squash this beef and bring back the champ for another 4th of July at Coney Island!”

But the Fourth of July staple still promises great competition and a slew of accomplished eaters, including last year’s No. 2 in the men’s division, Geoffrey Esper, currently ranked behind Chestnut as the No. 2 eater in the world.

Esper ate 49 hot dogs at last year’s competition, but his all-time best is 51, according to a spokesperson for Major League Eating.

Esper will face James Webb, who recently broke a record by eating 350 donut holes in eight minutes, and Patrick Bertoletti, whose personal best is the highest in the competition at 55 hot dogs.

Also joining the ranks is Gideon Oji, the kale-eating champion of the world, and Nick Wehry, an accomplished eater who recently got engaged to women’s champ Sudo.

The celebration could again be plagued with storms this year, as the forecast for the Fourth of July shows hot and humid weather with a chance of scattered showers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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