Miki Sudo wins her fifth Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest
She’s still the top dog.
Reigning Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest champion Miki Sudo picked up her fifth consecutive belt Wednesday, downing 37 franks and buns amid scorching temperatures and stifling humidity.
It wasn’t her career-best 41 dogs — but the 32-year-old was still pleased as pie with another Fourth of July victory.
“I really wasn’t looking to beat my personal best or even a record. A win is a win,” Sudo told reporters afterward. “Today everybody’s numbers were a little bit lower, maybe because of the heat, I don’t know what it was. When I saw that I had a considerable lead, at one point by eight hot dogs, I said, it’s fine, I’m done.”
Michelle Lesco, from Tuscon, Arizona, came in second place, wolfing 28 hot dogs and buns, while Maryland mom of two Juliet Lee placed third with 25.
They and several other women battled the steamy weather for the perennial competition in Coney Island, where the mercury soared to 82 but the humidity made it feel like 95.
And it showed.
Halfway through the contest, Lesco dumped an entire bottle of water over her head while a red-faced Sudo gagged as she shoveled down the dogs two at a time, beads of sweat rolling down her face.
“It was definitely warm today,” Sudo said.
The Las Vegas champ picked up the pace at around the four-minute mark, when she clocked in 23 dogs compared to Lesco and Lee, who were then at 19 apiece.
Besides a fifth pink Nathan’s championship belt, Sudo won a cool $10,000 for the gluttonous feat.
Last year, she chowed down a career-best 41 dogs.
Meanwhile, Joey “Jaws” Chestnut is vying for his 11th Nathan’s title when he takes the stage early Wednesday afternoon. He devoured 72 hot dogs and buns last year to beat out Carmen “The Mutiny” Cincotti, who ate 68.