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There's a new Mustard Belt holder, and his name is Patrick Bertoletti. The world's No. 9-ranked eater won his first Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on Thursday, gobbling down a career-high 58 hot dogs and buns to squeak it out over pre-contest favorite Geoffrey Esper.
Bertoletti was making his ninth career appearance at the annual Fourth of July contest, and it was a heated contest between him, Esper and James Webb. At the halfway point, Webb led with 35, and Bertoletti was at 33. Going down the stretch, Webb, Bertoletti and Esper were separated by just a few hot dogs and buns, but ultimately no one could keep up with Bertoletti.
Esper finished with 53 hot dogs and buns -- his fourth straight runner-up finish -- and Webb had 52.
Esper had been the runner-up to Joey Chestnut in each of the past three contests, and Chestnut's absence loomed large in the iconic contest on Coney Island. In mid-June, Chestnut was barred from the event by Major League Eating due to an endorsement deal with Impossible Foods. Chestnut is the GOAT when it comes to dogs, as he had won 16 of the last 17 Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contests, and his 76 hot dogs and buns in 2021 remains the world record. Chestnut has not ruled out a return to the contest, but for now, Bertoletti represents the first non-Chestnut winner since 2015.
Miki Sudo won the women's event earlier in the day, consuming a women's record 51 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. It clinched her 10th career win and broke her own previous record of 48.5. Sudo has won every women's hot dog eating contest she has participated in since 2014 -- she skipped 2021 when she was pregnant -- and she is seemingly just getting better.
