Patrick Bertoletti has won the Nathan’s 2024 men’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, while Miki Sudo defended her 2023 win with her 10th title in the women’s competition.
The 75+ Best 4th of July Fashion Deals on Designer Clothing, Summer Accessories and More
Bertoletti of Chicago consumed 58 hot dogs in a tight race, where the leader varied among the 13 competitors around the world. He surpassed his personal best of 55 hot dogs in 10 minutes.
“I wasn’t going to stop eating until the job was done,” he said after his win.
Sudo, on the other hand, ate 51 hot dogs, setting a new world record for women. The Florida native competed against 13 other people, including her rival Mayoi Ebihara of Japan. Sudo beat her record from last year of 39 1/2 hot dogs.
“I’m just happy to call this mine for another year,” Sudo said after becoming the defending champ.
The competition, which takes place every year on the Fourth of July, marked the first one in nearly two decades in which Joey Chestnut did not partake. However, he will compete against soldiers at a U.S. Army base in El Paso later today.
The competitive eater has won the Nathan’s event a total of 16 times (out of his 19 attempts), including every year since 2016. However, when Chestnut inked a deal as a spokesperson for Impossible Foods, which launched a plant-based hot dog this year, Major League Eating claimed he went against the brand’s exclusivity rules for the competition.
“For nearly two decades we have worked under the same basic hot dog exclusivity provisions,” Major League Eating said in a statement in June. “However, it seems that Joey and his managers have prioritized a new partnership with a different hot dog brand over our long-time relationship.”
Parachute's Beloved Bedding, Linens and Accessories Are Up to 70 Percent Off for the 4th of July
In response to the news that he would not be allowed to compete in the hot dog eating contest, Chestnut released his own statement, noting that he was “gutted” to learn from the media that he was banned.
“To set the record straight, I do not have a contract with MLE or Nathans and they are looking to change the rules from past years as it relates to other partners I can work with,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) . “Sadly, this is the decision Nathan’s and Major League Eating are making, and it will deprive the great fans of the holiday’s usual joy and entertainment.”
While Chestnut did not take the stage in Coney Island this year, it doesn’t mean his fans can’t see him chow down on some hot dogs this summer. The competitive eater will compete against his “fiercest rival,” Takeru Kobayashi, during a hot dog eating contest airing live on Netflix on Labor Day, Sept. 2.
The special will be called Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef , with the location and timing still TBD. It will reunite the rivals for the first time since 2009 when Chestnut beat Kobayashi in a five hot dog sudden death eat-off.
“Through all of my years in competitive eating, Kobayashi stands out as my fiercest rival,” Chestnut said in a statement when the special was announced. “Competing against him pushed me to be so much better. I know that fans have waited a long time for another chapter of our rivalry, and I can’t wait for our massive showdown live on Netflix! It’s time to give the people what they want!”
Kobayashi, on the other hand, had retired from competitive eating but Netflix coaxed him into one last frank-eating challenge.
“Retiring for me will only happen after I take him down one last time,” Kobayashi said. “This rivalry has been brewing for a long time. Competing against Joey live on Netflix means fans all over the world can watch me knock him out.”
Brooklinen's 4th of July Sale Promises Up to 65 Percent Off Star-Loved Bedding, Towels and More
Most Popular
Comments / 0