Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island has officially crowned a new winner after former champion Joey Chestnut was barred from competing . Contestants from around the world gathered in Brooklyn on July 4 to eat as many hot dogs as they possibly could in only 10 minutes. Patrick Bertoletti took the top prize in the men’s contest, while defending champion Miki Sudo reigned supreme — and made history — in the women’s battle.
Sudo broke the previous record in the women’s contest, consuming 51 hot dogs in the allotted time period. This was her 10th time winning the coveted pink belt. The Florida native beat out 13 other competitors from around the world, including the runner-up from last year, Mayoi Ebihara, who came in second, consuming only 37 hot dogs.
The third place contestant, Michelle Lesco, ate 23.5 hot dogs. “Breaking 50 is a milestone for all women and I’m really excited to be a part of it,” Sudo told the New York Post after her win.
As for the men, many were expecting the runner-up from last year’s contest, Geoffrey Esper, to win, but he was ultimately beaten by Bertoletti, who gobbled down a whopping 58 hot dogs. Esper ate 53, and the third place contestant, James Webb, consumed 32. This was the first time in 16 years that someone other than Joey Chestnut has won the contest.
The hot dog eating champ did not even appear at the boardwalk this year after announcing that he would be competing in a different hot dog competition in Fort B.
