Nathan's hot dog contest crowns Bertoletti, Sudo after Joey Chestnut debacle

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Patrick Bertoletti, Geoffrey Esper and other contestants compete in the 2024 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island in New York City, U.S., July 4, 2024. There's a new top dog in the frankfurter eating world. Patrick Bertoletti won Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, the annual competition held on July 4, marking the end of an era after 16-time winner Joey Chestnut's falling out with the event's organizer, Major League Eating. Bertoletti, 39, from Illinois, consumed 58 hot dogs in this year's 10-minute event, earning him the Mustard Yellow Belt in the men's category. Miki Sudo set a new record in the women's division with 51 wieners downed. After the beef between Chestnut and MLE, the contest was considered much more wide open than in the past several years. MLE announced last month that it was parting ways with Chestnut, citing a rule that participants cannot strike endorsement deals with rivals of hot dog maker Nathan's. MLE alleged at the time that Chestnut had partnered with a plant-based meat alternative company. Chestnut, also known as "Jaws," has recently begun posting images on Instagram that feature Impossible Foods. "For nearly two decades we have worked under the same basic hot dog exclusivity provisions," the MLE said in a statement in June. "However, it seems that Joey and his managers have prioritized a new partnership with a different hot dog brand over our long-time relationship."