Miki Sudo reclaims her hot dog-eating crown

SCREEN CAPTURE

Champ Miki Sudo on her way to downing 40 hot dogs in 19 minutes.

Miki Sudo reclaimed her crown as the top dog as the United States' hot dog eating champion.

The Japanese American won her eighth Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest yesterday on America's birthday.

Sudo, 36, didn't match her world record of 48 and one-half hot dogs that she set in 2020 but her 40 franks (with buns) in 10 minutes was enough win the annual contest leaving her nearest rival, Michelle Lesco, in the dust. 

Perennial champion Joey Chestnut won the men's contest, downing 63 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

Since joining the contest in 2014, Las Vegas resident Sudo has never lost. She skipped last year because she was pregnant. She gave birth to her son, Max, days after last year's competition.

“I didn’t know how difficult it might be to compete after having a child,” Sudo told ESPN before the match. “Max is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and Nathan’s is second.”

Miki Sudo won her eighth Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest victory in nine years Monday, returning to the top of the dogpile after sitting out last year’s competition.

The 36-year-old, who sat out the 2021 Hot Dog Eating Contest because she was pregnant, scarfed down 40 dogs and buns — besting the nearest competition by 14.

Sudo led for the entirety of the 10-minute contest, crossing the 10-dog threshold at the minute-forty mark.

The 2021 winner Michelle Lesco came in second place Monday, finishing runner-up to her friend and former roommate for the fourth time.

Sudo, a native of New York City, first competed in the annual Fourth of July tradition in 2014 and has never lost.

She has been Major League Eating’s top-ranked female competitive eater since 2014.

She gave birth to her son Max just days after last year’s competition.

On Monday her husband and fellow competitive eater Nick Wehry foisted the 1-year-old above his head to cheer from the crowd as his wife accepted the contest’s mustard-yellow champion’s belt.

“I didn’t know how difficult it might be to compete after having a child,” Sudo said in a pre-recorded interview shown on ESPN before the match. “Max is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and Nathan’s is second.”  

In the women's division, Miki Sudo reclaimed her crown, finishing 40 hot dogs after missing last year's contest. She reclaimed the pink belt from Michelle Lesco, who ate 26 hot dogs, and Sarah Rodriguez finished third at 23.25.

While it may not have been a record-breaking day for the top eaters in the world, it was a dominant one all the same. The 2022 belt winners will, once again, be Chestnut and Sudo.