With reigning hot dog-eating champion Joey Chestnut off competing in another event in El Paso, Texas' "Fort Bliss Meat and Greet," it was anyone's guess who would take the top title at this year's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in Brooklyn.

And the results for 2024 are official: Pat Bertoletti is the new Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest champ after devouring 58 dogs and buns.

Geoffrey Esper secured second place after eating 53 dogs and buns, while James Webb of Australia came in third place with 52 dogs and buns consumed.

Before that, in the women's contest, Miki Sudo — the Empress of Eating — finished in first with a record-breaking 51 hot dogs and buns consumed. Mayoi Ebihara finished second with 37 hot dogs and buns. Michelle Lesco came in third with 23.5 hot dogs and buns.

In 2023, Chestnut ate 62 hot dogs and buns. But in 2021, he set the world record, having eaten 76.

Like the competitors today, Chestnut is a big believer in the "dunk-and-shove" method. That's when the competitors dip the frankfurters and buns into liquid before scarfing them down.

Chestnut set the world record twice in the prior three contests: In 2018, he imbibed 74 hot dogs and buns, and in 2020, he swallowed 75 hot dogs and buns.

Chestnut signed a controversial sponsorship contract with meatless food company Impossible Foods, which offended Nathan's Famous, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATH) and barred him from competing this year.

Whether he would've retained the title this year against Bertoletti, we'll never know.

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