NNEW YORK – Patrick Bertoletti scarfed down 58 hot dogs to win his first men’s title Thursday at the annual Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, taking advantage of the absence of the biggest star of the event. In the women’s competition, defending champion Miki Sudo won her 10th title and set a new world record by knocking down 51 links.
Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, defending men’s champion and winner of 16 of the previous 17 competitions, was a no-show this year for more than a year. sponsorship dispute. Instead, he competed later in the day against four soldiers at a US Army base in El Paso, Texas, where he devoured 57 hot dogs in five minutes.
Bertoletti, 39, of Chicago, won in a tight 10-minute race where the leader jumped back and forth, defeating 13 competitors from around the world. He said he lost weight and trained “urgently” for three months to prepare for the event, thinking he had a good chance of winning.
“Without Joey here, I knew I had a chance,” Bertoletti said. “I managed to unlock something that I don’t know where it came from.”
Bertoletti surpassed his previous record of 55 hot dogs at the event, which takes place every Independence Day in Coney Island, New York, a seaside destination with amusement parks and a summer carnival culture.
Previously, in the women’s competition, Sudo, a 38-year-old dental hygiene student from Florida, once again won and set the new record a year after forcing 39 1/2 hot dogs in 2023.
“I’m so happy to call this mine for another year,” said Sudo after earning the pink belt.
Sudo beat 13 competitors, including 28-year-old Japanese rival Mayoi Ebihara, who came second after eating 37 hot dogs. She was also runner-up in 2023.
Sudo also bested his partner, former Florida bodybuilder Nicholas Wehry, who ate 46 hot dogs in the men’s competition.
Bertoletti’s victory marks the first time the famous Mustard belt has gone to someone other than Chestnut since 2015.
Thousands of fans, some wearing foam hot dog hats, gather every year for the event held outside Nathan’s original Coney Island location. Rich Shea, CEO of event organizer Major League Eating, noted how people still showed up in droves even though Chestnut wasn’t there.
“Just a great competitor, a great guy, a grown man and a man who decided not to be here today,” he said of the popular ESPN eating champion. “But luckily for us, tens of thousands of people are crowding around Nathan’s Famous. It’s a pilgrimage every year. This is not a paid Hollywood crowd.”
Competitors came from more than a dozen states and five continents, with candidates from Brazil, Japan, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Australia and the Czech Republic vying for the coveted title and a $10,000 cash prize.
Last year brunette, from Indiana, paved the way for the title by slaughtering 62 dogs and buns in 10 minutes. The record, which he set in 2021, is 76.
The chestnut was initially uninvited of the event through a sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods, which specializes in plant-based meat substitutes and which advertised on ESPN throughout the event on Thursday.
Major League Eating has since said it has rolled back the ban, but Chestnut decided to spend the holiday with the troops anyway. Chestnut said he would not return to the Coney Island pageant without apologizing.
The event in El Paso was held at an Army base that is difficult for the public to access. Still, a few hundred fans showed up to support Chestnut, some wearing hot dog costumes and others wearing a t-shirt that said, “Let Joey Eat.” Chestnut’s count of 57 surpassed the four soldiers from Fort Bliss, who ate 49.
Before the event, Chestnut expressed fear that he would not perform well without the support of the large and noisy Coney Island crowd. But he later said he had reached a “record pace”.
“I love you guys,” Chestnut told fans at Fort Bliss after recognizing the military service of his father, grandfather and brother. “You guys pushed me so much, thank you very much.”
The event was sponsored by Impossible Foods, although their vegan products were not used in the competition. Company CEO Peter McGuinness appeared on stage with Chestnut and representatives from Operation Homefront, a charity that supports military families. He presented the organization with a donation check for $106,000; $1,000 for every hot dog eaten.
Chestnut will next compete with professional rival Takeru Kobayashi on September 2 in a Netflix head-to-head special.
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Haigh reported from Norwich, Connecticut.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
