Miki Sudo Wins Fifth Straight Mustard Belt, Downs 37 Dogs In 10 Minutes

NEW YORK (AP) — For the fifth year in a row, Las Vegas super eater Miki Sudo took top prize at the Nathan's Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest, downing 37 franks and buns in 10 minutes amid stifling humidity at the annual seaside competition.

Sudo fell short of the 41 hot dogs she consumed last year but still beat out second-place finisher Mischelle Lesco of Tuscon, Arizona, who chowed down 28 wieners and buns.

On the men's side, 10-time winner Joey "Jaws" Chestnut will confront 20 other men for the coveted Mustard Belt later Wednesday.

Sudo, 32, was a fan favorite, drawing big cheers from the crowd during her performance, which was slightly delayed after she requested new water to soak her buns.

George Shea, the longtime host of the annual Brooklyn eat-off, quipped that Sudo was particular about the temperature and amount of water she uses while competing.

Thousands of attendees, many donning mustard-colored hot dog caps, braved 83-degree temperatures and a heat index of 91 degrees to witness the annual July Fourth competition on the Coney Island boardwalk. The outlandish tradition dates to 1972, though the company has long promoted what a former president acknowledged was a legendary start date of 1916.

Fan Martha Pleasant, 41, of Franklin, New Jersey, said she was attending the competitive eating competition to support her husband Dwight, who "loves wieners."

"We are trying to knock something off my hubby's bucket list," she said.