Reigning hot dog eating champion, Joey Chestnut, weighs in before Nathan’s Hot dog eating contest. Erica Byfield reports.
New York's annual face-stuffing spectacle returns to Coney Island on July 4th, and all eyes continue to be on reigning champion Joey Chestnut.
Competitors weighed in Friday for Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest where some of the world's best eaters plan to face off.
Chestnut holds the world record for eating a whopping 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes, which he achieved at last year's contest. He's looking for his 15th win at the competition this year, all while recovering from a ruptured tendon.
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"This the first year I've had a real injury, so I'm trying to work past it. I haven't won a contest all year, so I'm really hoping I can just find my happy place. Hopefully the energy of the audience pushes me," Chestnut said at Friday's weigh-in.
Last year's female champion, Michelle Lesco, ate 30 and 3/4 hot dogs. Lesco unseated Miki Sudo, who had won the women's competition every year from 2014-2020, but skipped out on last year's contest due to her pregnancy.
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Sudo will return to compete this year.
Approximately 35,000 people are expected to attend the event on the corner of Surf and Stillwell avenues in Coney Island.
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For more information on Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest and to view the hot dog eater's hall of fame, visit their website here.