Joey Chestnut.Photo: Debra L Rothenberg/Shutterstock
Joey Chestnuthas defended his title once more.
The competitive eater, 37, took home his 14th win in the last 15 years during theFourth of JulyNathan’s Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, New York.
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Joey Chestnut.Michael Nagle/Xinhua via Getty Images
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Ahead of the competition, Chestnut told ESPN he had been “looking forward to [it] all year,” having missed spectators last year due to theCOVID-19 pandemicand competing indoors.
“Even if I was uncomfortable, having everybody cheer me and push me, it made me feel good,” Chestnut added.
As for Lesco, she called her first win “an amazing feeling,” according to ESPN. (The Tucson, Arizona, native took home the victory after seven-time championMiki Sudosat out this year’s competition, as she’s expecting her first child this month.)
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The event still took place in Coney Island, but “in a private location with COVID-19 safety measures in place,” according to Major League Eating (MLE), which officially sanctions Nathan’s contest. The venue featured a 30-foot-long tablewith only five competitors compared to the typical 15.
“2020 has been a year for the history books, and the realization that this storied July 4th tradition would be able to occur is a great feeling,” said James Walker, Nathan’s Famous senior vice president, when the new venue was announced last year. “With that being said, our country and our world has endured so much in the last couple of months, that we’d be remiss if we didn’t use this moment to honor those that have done so much for each of us during this time.”
Beyond Nathan’s usual annual donation of 100,000 hot dogs to theFood Bank for New York City, additional efforts were made in 2020 to raise money and bring awareness to the needs of food banks and all the work these organizations do.
source: people.com
