New York - A 33-year-old California man broke his own record
Tuesday by downing 72 hot dogs in an eating contest held annually on
July 4 at a New York amusement park.
Joey Chesnut consumed the 72 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes to take
first prize and break the record of 70 hot dogs in 10 minutes he set
one year ago. It was Chesnut's second consecutive win in the hot
dog-eating contest at Coney Island and 10th overall.
"I treat competitive eating like a sport, it's not like going to a
buffet," Chesnut told sports broadcaster ESPN.
He was awarded the coveted Mustard Belt, which resembles the winners'
belts awarded to professional boxers.
Second place in the men's competition went to Carmen Cincotti, who
ate 62 hot dogs in 10 minutes.
Miki Sudo, 20, also set a personal best by devouring 41 hot dogs and
buns in the same amount of time to win her record fourth consecutive
women's title.
The contest is sponsored by Nathan's Famous hot dogs and was first
held at Coney Island in 1916 on the US Independence Day holiday.
Prior to the contest participants train their stomach by stretching
them to two- to three-times the normal size.
Eating contest have become popular in the US and various forms are
held across the country throughout the year. Some have ended
tragically. In April, a 20-year-old student from New Jersey choked to
death in a pancake-eating contest. On the same day a 42-year-old man
from Denver, Colorado, died in a doughnut-eating contest.