John Minchillo/Associated Press
There have been plenty of dynasties in sports history. Few have been as dominant as Joey Chestnut’s reign over the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Every Fourth of July, Chestnut heads to Brooklyn, New York, and devours an incredible number of hot dogs. He’s won the contest each of the past five years and 13 of the past 14. Not only that, but he keeps getting better, as he extended his all-time record to 75 hot dogs consumed in 2020.
Could Chestnut eat 76 (or more) during the 10-minute competition this year? We’ll soon find out, as the contest is set to be held Sunday afternoon in Coney Island.
Here’s everything you need to know heading into the 2021 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.
2021 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Information
Date: Sunday, July 4
Start Time: Noon ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: ESPN app
Replays: 2 p.m. ET (ESPNews); 4 p.m. ET (ESPN2); 6 p.m. ET (ESPNews)
Like most of the sports world in 2020, the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest was affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Instead of a huge crowd cheering on as the competitors downed an inordinate number of hot dogs, it was held in a private location in Brooklyn.
But this year, things will be back to normal. And that may only help motivate Chestnut to have an even better performance and down more than the 75 hot dogs he ate in 2020.
“I’m hoping I can find that perfect rhythm were I can keep pushing and I’m comfortable,” Chestnut said, per ESPN’s David Purdum. “Hopefully 76, 77 sounds doable.”
The only time that Chestnut lost the hot dog eating contest over the past 14 years was in 2015, when Matthew Stonie ate 62 while Chestnut consumed 60. Since then, Chestnut hasn’t eaten fewer than 70 hot dogs during the competition in the past five years.
Considering that Chestnut has only gotten better at this competition, it’s highly unlikely that anybody else in the field can take away the mustard belt this year. Expect it to go right back around the waist of the 37-year-old.
However, there’s going to be a new winner in the women’s competition this year. Miki Sudo is the seven-time defending champion who ate a record 48.5 hot dogs last year, but she’s pregnant and won’t be taking part in Sunday’s competition.
With Sudo sitting out, the favorite to win the contest is Michelle Lesco, who will be competing for the 10th year in a row. She’s never won, though, with her best showing coming in 2017, when she ate 32 hot dogs and finished second to Sudo (41).
Although Lesco may be the most likely women’s winner, she’s not overlooking some of the others who will be participating—especially considering there have been plenty of people training who missed out on last year’s contest because of COVID-19 travel restrictions.
“There are competitors who have been constantly increasing their numbers,” Lesco said during a recent appearance on PIX11 Morning News.
Whether or not Lesco wins, you can count on Chestnut coming through. But it will be exciting to see whether he can set yet another record. Although 76 hot dogs is a lot, if there’s anybody who could consume that many, it’s the 13-time champion.
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