Joey Chestnut is once again the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest champion, with 62 hot dogs and buns eaten during the annual event at Coney Island in Brooklyn on Tuesday (July 4).
Chestnut, a now 16-time champion, won his eighth consecutive championship. Last year, Chestnut ate 63 hot dogs to win his 15th Nathan's championship.
Earlier this week, Chestnut appeared on Barstool Sports' Pardon My Take podcast and said setting a new record would be an achievable, but difficult goal.
“It’s possible. It’s doable,” Chestnut said. “But there’s things out of my control. There could be silly protesters, there could be thunderstorms. But if I’m feeling as good as I have the last two weeks, I can do it.”
In 2021, Chestnut broke his previous world record of 74 hot dogs and buns eaten set in 2018 by consuming 75.
The Kentucky native won his first Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in 2007, defeating then-six-time defending champion Takeru Kobayashi of Japan, by eating 66 hot dogs and buns.
Chestnut won eight consecutive championships before being defeated by Matt Stonie in 2015 and then winning the next seven consecutive titles from 2016 to 2021.
Geoffrey Esper, of Oxford, Massachusetts, finished in second with 49 hot dogs and buns eaten. Australia's James Webb ate 47, setting a new record for his country.