Joey Chestnut addresses record-setting win, weather delay

Joey Chestnut acknowledged that his record-setting 16th victory at the annual Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest nearly wasn't possible Tuesday afternoon. 

"They told us it was canceled," Chestnut said after he downed 62 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes to win the competition for the eighth straight year, per Eric Levenson of CNN. "We weren’t sure we were gonna eat today. I’m just happy. It’s the Fourth of July, I got to eat some hot dogs and get a win." 

As noted by the New York Post, the men's contest initially scheduled to start shortly after noon local time was nearly scrapped when the New York City Police Department chose to dismiss the crowd of spectators due to lightning in the area. However, ESPN later confirmed it was starting its coverage of the competition at 2 p.m. on ESPN2 after the storms cleared. 

"I feel great. I feel like I haven’t eaten," Chestnut told Ronny Reyes of the Post after his win. The 39-year-old also suggested that the weather prevented him from approaching his record of 76 hot dogs that he finished in 2021. 

"The delay didn’t help," Chestnut explained. "At the end of the day, I hit a wall. I was slow. My jaws for some reason got tired quick. My rhythm was off a little bit. My nerves were off but I’ll figure it out. I didn’t break the record, but I’ll be back next year and find a way to do it." 

Geoffrey Esper of Massachusetts finished second behind Chestnut by eating 49 hot dogs. James Webb from Australia earned third place with 47. 

Many would assume Chestnut couldn't possibly ingest anything else across the holiday following his latest accomplishment, but the man viewed by many as the greatest competitive eater in history insisted after his win that his stomach could handle some celebratory beverages. 

"I’ve got leftover room, so I’ll be having some beers later," Chestnut declared.