He’s still the top dog.
Joey “Jaws” Chestnut won his 12th Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on Thursday, downing 71 franks and buns in 10 minutes to take the annual Fourth of July feeding frenzy in Coney Island.
But the astounding feat of eating was three wieners short of his own 2018 record of 74 dogs — and Chestnut said he is still hungry t🐻🥀o reach 75.
“I’m a little disappointed, but I got to win. I annihilated the competition,” the 35-year-old told reporters afterward.
“I’m not full, I have plenty of room. I practice and I love this. I just need to find a way to move a little bit faster. Find a way that will help me break the record.”
Chestnut, the reigning champ, nevertheless dominated the field of 18 to hold onto the contest’s coveted mustard-yellow belt — with Darron Breeden of Virginia placing a distant second by scarfing a respectable 50 franks.
Earlier Thursday, Miki Sudo won her sixth title in the women’s competition with 31 hot dogs.
Hundreds of competitive eating fans flocked to Coney Island’s boardwalk to cheer on the gutsy competitors as they chowed down in sweltering heat.
Sarah Heidemann traveled from Rockford, Illinois, with a friend just to witness thꦫe🎉 spectacle.
“We came all the way from Illinois to see it. Just the perfect thing to do on Fourth of July. What’s more American than hot dogs?” said Heidemann, 35.
Also in attendance were NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill, who greeted the crowd and thanked the local 60th Precinct, and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzal🅠es, who swore in the judges.
Master of ceremonies George Shea presided over the affair, offering colorful commentary and even performing a rap with New York contestant Eric “Badlands” Booker to warm up the crowd.
The 2018 contest was marred by a score-keeping flub — with tallies incorrectly showing Chestnut eating just 64 franks — and Shea said organizers had taken precautions this year to make sure it didn’t happen again.
“We had allowed too many water cups to get on the table last year and that messed up our counters. It didn’t mess up the judges, but there was significant confusion at the end of the contest,” he said.
“We changed the system, changed where the cups are, made sure that we kept track of all the hot dogs, and it went very smoothly.”