Joey “Jaws” Chestnut reclaimed his title at the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest on Friday, after sitting out last year’s event due to a contract disagreement. The 41-year-old competitive eater from Westfield, Indiana, devoured 70½ hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, just shy of his 2021 record of 76. This victory marks his 17th win in 20 appearances at the globally watched contest held annually in Coney Island, Brooklyn.
After his win, Chestnut smiled and told the cheering crowd, “I wish I ate a couple more. Sorry guys. I’ll be back next year.”
In the women’s division, defending champion Miki Sudo from Tampa, Florida, secured her 11th title by eating 33 hot dogs, beating out 12 other competitors. Sudo, who set a record of 51 last year, admitted she was disappointed with her performance, saying the buns felt larger this time around and she felt she let fans down.
Thousands of enthusiastic fans, many wearing foam hot dog hats, gathered outside the original Nathan’s Famous restaurant to witness the competition, which Chestnut described as “a cherished tradition, a celebration of American culture, and a huge part of my life.”
Chestnut outperformed 14 competitors from across the globe, including challengers from Australia, the Czech Republic, Canada, England, and Brazil. Patrick Bertoletti, last year’s men’s champion from Chicago, finished second by eating 46½ hot dogs, falling short of the 58 he ate to win the 2024 title.
After the contest, Chestnut shared with ESPN how excited he was to return. “As soon as I found out I was coming, my body — it was easy to train. I love doing it. And love pushing myself and beating the heck out of people.”
Chestnut missed last year’s event due to a contract dispute stemming from his deal with Impossible Foods, a plant-based meat company. Although Chestnut stated last month that he never appeared in commercials for the company’s vegan hot dogs and that Nathan’s remains the only hot dog brand he has officially worked with, he acknowledged he “should have made that more clear with Nathan’s.”
Despite sitting out the competition, Chestnut stayed active, recently eating 57 hot dogs in five minutes during an exhibition with soldiers at Fort Bliss in Texas, an event he called “amazing.” Still, he said, “I’m happy I did that, but I’m really happy to be back at Coney Island.”
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