CONEY ISLAND — Buoyed by cheers from an adoring crowd, Joey "Jaws" Chestnut gulped his way back to glory by downing a record-breaking 70 hot dogs and buns under the scorching sun on Monday.
"Joey! Joey!" the crowd screamed as Chestnut shoved the last frank into his mouth before the 10-minute annual Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island came to a stomach-churning close.
"The audience loved me, and I love being able to push myself for them," said Chestnut, 32, of California, who briefly lost his first-place standing last year after being bested by Matt Stonie.
This year, Stonie only gobbled 53 franks — as Chestnut left him in the dust as he roared back into the lead.
At last week's qualifying event, Chestnut ate 73 dogs and buns — a world record — organizers said.
"By all that is holy, I've never seen Chestnut eat like this," said Major League Eating co-founder George Shea, "Joey Chestnut is America."
In the women's competition, the No. 1 women's eating champ Miki Sudo, of Las Vegas, bested the competition by downing 38 dogs.