NEW YORK - A world-record eater ended the six-year reign of a Japanese champion Wednesday, after gobbling a whopping 66 weiners in a mere 12 minutes in the annual Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating contest.
American Joey Chestnut ended Japan's Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayshi's remarkable streak to the cheers of a crowd of 50,000, according to police estimates.
Only Tuesday, Kobayashi was considering dropping out of the event after arthritis of the jaw and a pulled wisdom tooth left him in pain.
He rallied to try to defend his title, but came up short, shoveling in a still-remarkable 63 dogs.
The 70-kilo (154-pound) Kobayashi has caused a sensation by winning the contest six years in a row; last year by eating an astounding 53-3/4 hot dogs with buns and all in the stipulated time of 12 minutes.
Chestnut, at 97 kilos (215 pounds) and 23 years of age came second with 52 hot dogs, but this year feels confident after breaking the world record in June with 59-1/2.
Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Competition has been held every year at Coney Island since 1916 and is considered the blue ribbon event of the increasingly popular and lucrative competitive eating calendar.
Most participants now use the "Solomon technique" patented by Kobayashi, breaking the wieners in half before wolfing them down. The buns are eaten separately after being dunked in water to make them easier to swallow.
The only real rule is to avoid regurgitation -- or "reversal of fortune" as it is quaintly termed -- which would result in immediate disqualification.
07/04/2007 17:59 GMT