Nathan's hot dog eating contest 2009: Joey Chesnut defends title, sets world record with 68 dogs

And the wiener is ... Joey (Jaws) Chestnut! The defending champ made it a three-peat Saturday at the 94th annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island after choking down a stomach-churning 68 franks in 10 minutes - a new world record. "I've been practicing hard," Chestnut, 25, said after the chowdown. "I knew it would be hard to beat me." For most of the bout, the 218-pound professional eater maintained a comfortable two-dog lead over his archrival, six-time titleholder Takeru (Tsunami) Kobayashi, who finished off 64 franks. "I wish I could have done better," Kobayashi said. "It was a real bummer that I lost." Chestnut said he was savoring victory just two minutes into the dog fight, after downing 23 dogs. "After the second minute I knew my body was cooperating," Chestnut said. "It was such a good day. I've never eaten that many before." Before he had time to even digest his win, Chestnut said he thinks he can improve his record next year and hit the unthinkable 70-dog mark. For Saturday's conquest, he took home $20,000 in prize money and the coveted Mustard Belt. Some 40,000 spectators turned out to watch the spectacle, the most prestigious event in the competitive eating world.