The year’s greatest 10-minute encapsulation of American independence went down Thursday morning, and historic champion Miki Sudo put away a world-record 51 hot dogs to win her 10th pink belt as the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest champion at the annual Coney Island Fourth of July event.
The legendary glizzy gobbler crushed the most franks in women’s hot dog eating contest history, dominating both the field and her digestive system. Mayoi “Ebimayo” Ebihara gave Sudo a run for her money in the second half of the competition, finishing with a personal best of 37 total dogs, but Sudo pulled away in the home stretch.
Ebihara, whose nickname translates to “shrimp mayonnaise,” was expected by some to challenge for Sudo’s throne, but Sudo proved the crown on her head and pink belt around her waist was as firm as ever with her historic performance.
A NEW WOMEN’S RECORD‼️
Miki Sudo downs 51 hot dogs to claim her 10th Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest 🌭 pic.twitter.com/vyzX4TJ9oN
— ESPN (@espn) July 4, 2024
A native New Yorker, Sudo entered Thursday as the No. 3-ranked eater in the Major League Eating (MLE) rankings, behind only men’s favorite Geoffrey Esper at No. 2 and Joey Chestnut at No. 1.
Sudo’s 51 dogs would have finished second overall, men’s or women’s, in 2023, behind Chestnut. No woman has ever won both the pink belt and the mustard belt.
The men’s competition is at noon and will kick off without Chestnut, as the 16-time Nathan’s winner will not participate in the competition due to a contract he signed to represent a rival hot dog brand.
Sudo previously held the women’s world record at 48.5 dogs, set in 2020. Since becoming a top-ranked eater in 2014, the only year she hasn’t won the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest was in 2021, when she was pregnant and skipped the competition. Her fiancé, Nick Wehry, is ranked No. 4 in the MLE rankings.
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(Photo: Timothy A. Clary / AFP via Getty Images)
