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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 5 July 2024

Patrick Bertoletti of Chicago wins his first men’s title at annual

Nathan’s hot dog eating contest.

By SUSAN HAIGH and CE- hats, flock each year to
DAR ATTANASIO the event held outside the
Associated Press original Nathan’s location
NEW YORK (AP) — Patrick in Brooklyn’s Coney Island,
Bertoletti of Chicago gob- a beachfront destination
bled down 58 hot dogs to with amusement parks and
win his first men’s title Thurs- a carnivalesque summer
day at the annual Nathan’s culture. Rich Shea, CEO
Famous Fourth of July hot of Major League Eating,
dog eating contest, taking which organizes the event,
advantage of the absence noted how people still
of the event’s biggest star. came out in droves even
Bertoletti won in a tight, though Chestnut was not
10-minute race where the there.
leader bounced back and “Just a great competitor,
forth. a great guy, a grown man,
The 39-year-old Bertoletti and a man who’s made a
defeated 13 competitors choice not to be here to-
from around the world in day,” he said of the popu-
a test to see who can wolf lar eating champ on ESPN.
down the most hot dogs in “But fortunately for us, tens
10 minutes. of thousands of people are
“I wasn’t going to stop eat- crowding around Nathan’s
ing until the job was done,” Patrick Bertoletti stuffs hot dogs into his mouth during the men’s division in Nathan’s Famous Famous. It’s a pilgrimage
Bertoletti said. Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn every year. This is not a paid
Bertoletti bested his prior re- borough of New York. Hollywood crowd. This is ex-
cord of 55 hot dogs at the Associated Press citement.”
event, held every Indepen- to prepare for Thursday’s set a new world record for after eating 37 hot dogs in Competitors came from
dence Day on New York’s event, thinking he had a women. 10 minutes. She was also over a dozen states and
Coney Island. good chance of winning. “I’m just happy to call this the runner-up in 2023. Sudo five continents, with pros-
The reigning men’s champi- “With Joey not here, I knew mine for another year,” also consumed more than pects from Brazil, Japan,
on, Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, I had a shot,” he said. “I Sudo said after winning her her partner, former Florida the United Kingdom, South
didn’t attend the competi- was able to unlock some- 10th pink belt. bodybuilder Nicholas Weh- Korea, Australia and the
tion this year over a spon- thing that I don’t know The 38-year-old dental hy- ry, who ate 46 hot dogs in Czech Republic vying
sorship tiff. Instead, Chest- where it came from. But I’m giene student won last year the men’s competition. for the coveted title and
nut will compete against not complaining.” after forcing down 39 1/2 Bertoletti’s victory marks $10,000 prize money.
soldiers at a U.S. Army base Earlier Thursday, defend- hot dogs. the first time the famed Last year Chestnut, of In-
in El Paso later in the day. ing champion Miki Sudo of Sudo defeated 13 com- mustard belt has gone to diana, chewed his way
Chestnut won 16 out of 17 Florida won her 10th title in petitors, including 28-year- someone besides Chestnut to the title by downing 62
previous competitions. the women’s division. old rival Mayoi Ebihara of since 2015. dogs and buns in 10 min-
Bertoletti said he lost weight Sudo consumed 51 hot Japan. Thousands of fans, some utes. The record, which he
and practiced for three dogs in 10 minutes and Ebihara came in second wearing foam hot dog set in 2021, is 76.q
months with “an urgency”

2 women in Chicago and Cleveland police officer are among

those killed in July Fourth shootings

By The Associated Press in Chicago, which police felonious assault around 1
Two women in a home in say resulted from an appar- a.m., police Chief Dorothy
Chicago, a police officer ent personal dispute. The Todd said, according to lo-
serving a warrant in Cleve- women killed were 42 and cal news outlets. That man
land and an armed person 22. Two vehicles pulled up was seen fleeing the home
making threats in Yellow- into a neighborhood in the and allegedly fired a gun
stone National Park were city’s south side and mul- multiple times, striking the
among those killed in shoot- tiple people got out and officer, according to Todd.
ings on the Fourth of July, fired shots at the home, Also on Thursday, in Yel-
historically one of the na- Deputy Chief Don Jerome lowstone gunfire was ex-
tion’s deadliest days of the said. Multiple shell cas- changed between a per-
year. Violence and mass ings from both a rifle and son who authorities say had
shootings often increase in a handgun were found at been making threats and
the summer months, with the scene, he said. park rangers. The shooting
more people gathering for The police officer killed in happened at Canyon Vil-
Sophia Mendez delivers a poem during a Remembrance social events, teens out of Cleveland was identified lage, an area in the central
Ceremony for the victims of the 2022 Highland Park shooting, school and hotter tempera- as Jamieson Ritter. The part of the park that has a
Thursday, July 4, 2024 at Edgewood Middle School in Highland tures. Three boys, ages 8, 7 27-year-old officer was part campground, lodging and
Park, Ill. and 5, were also wounded of a team dispatched to a visitor center, park offi-
Associated Press in the shooting on Thursday serve a man a warrant for cials said in a statement. q