A new world record was set for women at the annual Nathan’s hot dog eating contest on Thursday. Miki Sudo, a 38-year-old from Florida, consumed a total of 51 hot dogs in 10 minutes. This was the 10th total win for the defending champion.
“I’m just happy to call this mine for another year,” she said after claiming her victory.
Patrick Bertoletti took the crown for the men, finishing 58 hot dogs and buns in a 10-minute span. The first-time winner is the first champ besides Joey Chestnut in 16 years.
Nathan’s hot dog contest legend Joey Chestnut was famously missing from the annual contest. Despite his iconic role in the contest over the last couple of decades, Chestnut was banned from this year’s competition because he has a sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods.
The Major League Eating organization detailed the ban in a statement shared on social media, explaining that they were “devastated” Chestnut made the decision to work with the plant-based food rival instead of continuing his relationship with them.
“MLE and Nathan’s went to great lengths in recent months to accommodate Joey and his management team, agreeing to the appearance fee and allowing Joey to compete in a rival unbranded hot dog eating contest on Labor Day,” the statement said. “However it seems that Joey and his managers have prioritized a new partnership with a different hot dog brand over our long-time relationship.”
Instead of participating in Nathan’s Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Chestnut scored a Netflix special that will stream live on Labor Day: Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef. For the first time in 15 years, Chestnut will face off with his longtime rival Takeru Kobayashi in a one-on-one match up. The time and location of the competition are still unknown.
Another record was set on Thursday when Eric Badland chugged an entire gallon of lemonade in 21 seconds. When given the microphone, Badland let out a victorious roar and cheered in celebration of his new world record.
