Joey "Jaws" Chestnut ate eight fewer hot dogs than last year, but that didn't prevent him from defending his title at Nathan's Famous hot dog eating contest in New York.
Chestnut of San Jose, Calif., devoured 61 hot dogs and buns in the allotted 10 minutes. He ate 69 last year. But that wasn't the only reason for Chestnut to celebrate: Just before the competition began on Coney Island, he proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Neslie Ricasa, also a competitive eater. She said yes.
Matt Stonie finished second. He ate 56 hot dogs and buns.
ESPN has more: "The 61 hot dogs and buns equates to 23,790 calories, 1,189.5 grams of fat, 60,390 milligrams of sodium, 2,245 grams of carbohydrates and 793 grams of protein."
The returning female champion, Sonya "Black Widow" Thomas of Alexandria, Va., wasn't as lucky. She was shocked by Miki Sudo, who ate 34 franks and buns in the allotted time. Thomas managed only 27 ¾. Last year, Thomas wolfed down 45.
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