Defending Champ Wins Hot Dog Contest

Yahoo/AP ^ | july 4 2003 | AP

[KneelBeforeZod]

NEW YORK - The defending champ has won again at the international hot-dog eating contest at New York's Coney Island.

Takeru Kobayashi of Japan downed 44 1/2 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes, good enough to win, but still six dogs short of his own record last year.

It was the 88th annual Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest. The winner takes home the "Coveted International Mustard Yellow Belt" and a year's supply of hot dogs.

Last year, Kobayashi consumed a record 50 1/2 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes to win.

At one point during today's competition, Kobayashi jumped up and down, hoping to get all the food to settle before he continued.

At the end of the event, he lifted his shirt to show spectators his swollen stomach.

[KneelBeforeZod]

not again!!! shamed on the 4th. time to call in wet ops. (just kidding...)

[willieroe]

Amazing. Scientists need to study this guy - he weighs in at 130 pounds.

[hole_n_one]

[jocon307]

He must like hot dogs even more than me. Can you imagine eating all those dogs, and the prize? More dogs! I'd eat them every day, but this annual story always grosses me out.

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

No report on how the fridge did???

[willieroe]

At one point during today's competition, Kobayashi jumped up and down, hoping to get all the food to settle before he continued.

Just imagining eating two or three hot dogs, and then jumping up and down, makes me want to gag.

[AngrySpud]

I'm not impressed 'cause these guys never eat the crumbs that fall to the table.

[hole_n_one]

Amazing. Scientists need to study this guy - he weighs in at 130 pounds.

Quite odd, isn't it?

[angkor]

I saw this on the tube last year. And it's unbelievable, this skinny little guy competing against some fairly big bruisers.

It must be his technique.

[al baby]

yes the monica lewinski method

[shiva]

Where's the," Hold My Weenie" alert?

[HighWheeler]

You know, you bring up a good point. I don't recall any more rapes, bimbos, and sexual predation by Slick Willie since Monica. Maybe she gave him a "Nathan's".

[baseballfanjm]

He dropped out after five minutes, having eating only for dogs.

[Kozak]

Actually, they think it has to do with the fact he is skinny. The theory is that most of the competitors are big fat guys, and have what amounts to a "fat girdle" around their stomach. It prevents the kind of stretching this guy can accomplish. When he fist won the competition he blew away the others more then DOUBLING the previous worlds record. Since then these skinny Japanese guys have been tearing up the "competitive eating" world.

[ErnBatavia]

reminds me of this...

[baseballfanjm]

Nobody ever ate fifty eggs! Oh, yes, in my above post, for=four.

[yonif]

I heard he spends most of his day eating, trying to expand his stomach to its fullest size. It takes him like 2 hours to finish breakfast.

I think this was on Ripley's believe it or not.