Joey ‘Jaws’ Chestnut reclaims title in Famous hot dog eating contest, wins 17th Mustard Belt

Famed competitive eater Joey Jaws Chestnut reclaimed his title Friday at the Nathan s Famous Fourth of July hot-dog eating contest after skipping last year s gastronomic battle in New York for the coveted Mustard Belt Chestnut consumed hot dogs and buns in minutes falling short of his record of wieners and buns set on July It marked the th win in appearances for the Westfield Indiana eater at the internationally televised competition which he missed in over a contract dispute Defending champion in the women s division Miki Sudo of Tampa Florida won her th title downing dogs besting a dozen competitors Last year she ate a record links A large crowd a large number of wearing foam hot dog hats braved high temperatures to witness the annual eat-a-thon held outside the original Nathan s Famous restaurant in Coney Island Brooklyn since Countless show up to see Chestnut s much-awaited return to an event he has called a cherished tradition a celebration of American way of life and a huge part of my life Chestnut bested fellow competitors from across the U S and internationally including Australia the Czech Republic Ontario England and Brazil Last year Major League Eating event organizer George Shea revealed Chestnut would not be participating in the contest due to a contract dispute Chestnut had struck a deal with a competing brand the plant-based meat company Impossible Foods Chestnut advised The Associated Press last month that he had never appeared in any commercials for the company s vegan hot dogs and that Nathan s is the only hot dog company he has worked with But Chestnut acknowledged he should have made that more clear with Nathan s Last year Chestnut ate dogs in only five minutes in an exhibition with soldiers at Fort Bliss in El Paso Texas He noted that event was amazing and he was pleased to still have a chance to eat hot dogs a lot of them on July Fourth I m happy I did that but I m really happy to be back at Coney Island he declared Last year in New York Patrick Bertoletti of Chicago gobbled up a to earn the men s title