Rainstorms didn't stop the two best hot dog eaters from retaining their crowns.
Miki Sudo repeated as the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest champion in the women's event on Tuesday.
Sudo downed 39.5 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. Her closest competitor ate 33.5 hot dogs.
This was Sudo's 9th victory at the event, which takes place on Coney Island every Fourth of July.
She set the women's record for the competition by consuming 48.5 hot dogs in 2020.
The men's event was delayed by more than an hour due to severe weather in the New York area.
However, that didn't deter Joey Chestnut from defending his crown. He ate 62 hot dogs and buns in ten minutes. That's 13 more than his closest competitor.
Chestnut has now won the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest 17 times in the last 18 years.
The competitive eater said the rain delay threw off his timing because he didn't know whether he should eat or drink anything backstage.
He noted that he was attempting to break his world record of 77 hot dogs, but ended up "playing it safe."
Chestnut promised to be back next year in hopes of breaking that record.
Both he and Sudo took home $10,000 for their victories.
Participants in hot dog eating contest weigh in before event
July 4 marks the annual Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. One champion explained to Scripps News how she trains for the competition.
