Chowdown champ! America's July 4 begins as Joey 'Jaws' Chestnut sets new world record at Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island by downing 76 franks in 10 minutes in front of 5,000 screaming fans
- Joey 'Jaws' Chestnut broke his own record to gulp to a 14th win in the men´s Nathan´s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on Sunday
- Chestnut downed 76 franks and buns in 10 minutes -on more than he did in setting the record last year
- Last year's competition was held indoors and without fans due to the pandemic
- Michelle Lesco, of Tucson, Arizona, took the women's title by downing 30 and three-quarter dogs in 10 minutes and called her win 'an amazing feeling'
- The annual Fourth of July frankfurter fest normally happens outside Nathan´s flagship shop in Brooklyn's Coney Island neighborhood
- This year the event was held in a nearby minor league baseball stadium, Maimonides Park, with 5,000 spectators
Chowdown champ Joey 'Jaws' Chestnut broke his own record to gulp to a 14th win in the men's Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on Sunday, while Michelle Lesco took the women's title.
Chestnut downed 76 franks and buns in 10 minutes. That's one more than he did in setting the men's record last year, when the contest unfolded without fans because of the coronavirus pandemic.
'It just felt good,' Chestnut, of Westfield, Indiana, said in an ESPN interview after his win Sunday. 'Even if I was uncomfortable, having everybody cheer me and push me, it made me feel good.'
Chowdown champ Joey 'Jaws' Chestnut (left) broke his own record to gulp to a 14th win in the men's Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on Sunday
Winners Joey Chestnut and Michelle Lesco pose with their championship belts and trophies at the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest in Coney Island's Maimonides Park
Chestnut downed 76 franks and buns in 10 minutes. That's one more than he did in setting the men's record last year, when the contest unfolded without fans because of the coronavirus pandemic
After downing 76 franks and buns, Joey Chester said: 'It just felt good. Even if I was uncomfortable, having everybody cheer me and push me, it made me feel good.' Women's division winner, Michelle Lesco, of Tucson, Arizona, downed 30 and three-quarter dogs in 10 minutes and called her win 'an amazing feeling'
Last year, the hot dog eating constest was held indoors and without an in-person audience because of the pandemic. Chestnut said he'd missed the fans last year. More than 5,000 packed the Coney Island stadium for this year's event
Lesco, of Tucson, Arizona, downed 30 and three-quarter dogs in 10 minutes and called her win 'an amazing feeling.'
Reigning women's champ and record-holder Miki Sudo skipped this year because she's expecting a baby in a few weeks with fellow competitive eater Nick Wehry. He vied for the men' title but came up short.
The annual Fourth of July frankfurter fest normally happens outside Nathan's flagship shop in Brooklyn's Coney Island neighborhood. But this year's planning took place amid shifting coronavirus restrictions, and the event was held in a nearby minor league baseball stadium, Maimonides Park, with 5,000 spectators.
This year's Independence Day holiday, following 600,000 U.S. deaths from COVID-19 and amid a rise in the more aggressive Delta variant, was a time for Americans to show their patriotism and celebrate a personal sense of freedom by mingling with friends again and enjoying summer's simple pleasures.
Chester said Sunday that hearing the fans again helped propel him to victory.
'They kept pushing me. They didn´t give up on me,' he said in an ESPN interview. 'Even if I was uncomfortable, having everybody cheer me and push me, it made me feel good.'
Landmarks around the state, from the World Trade Center's centerpiece tower to Niagara Falls, were to be lighted in red, white and blue to mark Independence Day.
'If the last 16 months has reaffirmed anything, it's how precious life is and how vital liberty is to our identity as New Yorkers and Americans,' Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.
The annual Fourth of July frankfurter fest normally happens outside Nathan´s flagship shop in Brooklyn's Coney Island neighborhood. But this year´s planning took place amid shifting coronavirus restrictions, and the event was held in a nearby minor league baseball stadium, Maimonides Park, with 5,000 spectators
Winners Joey Chestnut and Michelle Lesco pose with their championship belts and trophies at the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest in Coney Island's Maimonides Park
More than 5,000 fans packed the stands, some holding cutouts of returning champ Joey Chester. Chestnut said he'd missed the fans last year. 'I've been looking forward to this all year,' he told ESPN in an interview before this year's competition
Hannah Garett and Carl Brogan look on before the world's best eating athletes go head-to-head in the 10-minute, all-you-can-eat contest at the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest in Coney Island's Maimonides Park
Last year, it was held indoors and without an in-person audience because of the pandemic.
Chestnut said he'd missed the fans last year.
'I've been looking forward to this all year,' he told ESPN in an interview before this year's competition.
The annual hot dog eating competition kicked off Independence Day celebrations, and later on Sunday the traditional Macy's Fourth of July fireworks show will be back in full form with a display over the East River, with shells being shot from five barges in a televised, choreographed spectacle.
This year, crowds will be welcome to gather.
The show will be broadcast live on NBC as part of a two-hour special featuring the Black Pumas, Coldplay, OneRepublic and Reba McEntire. The performers' appearances were pre-recorded from around the country in front of live audiences.
Last year, because of pandemic restrictions, there were a series of shorter fireworks shows in the days leading up to the holiday, with the locations kept secret in advance to keep people from congregating.
Trophies are displayed at the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest in Coney Island's Maimonides Park
Fans cheer on contestant Larell Marie Mele, left, before going onstage at the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest in Coney Island's Maimonides Park
People take photos of hot dogs before the 10-minute, all-you-can-eat contest at the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest
JOEY CHESTNUT WITH A NEW WORLD RECORD 76 HOTDOGS IN 10 MINUTES ¿¿
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 4, 2021
14 titles ¿¿ pic.twitter.com/3iia7YIHdr
But the Fourth of July celebrations were not not entirely carefree. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned state and local police last week of a heightened threat of violence by domestic extremist groups amid relaxed COVID-19 restrictions and the July Fourth holiday.
It was expected to be the busiest July Fourth road travel holiday on record - with an estimated 43.6 million Americans behind the wheel, or 5% more than a previous record set in 2019, the American Automobile Association said.
At Independence Hall in Philadelphia, first lady Jill Biden told a crowd: 'The clouds have broken' after a long, dreary winter of isolation battling COVID-19 along with efforts to meet her husband's goal of getting 70% of U.S. adults their first shot by July Fourth. The government calculated the number at about 67%, as some people have resisted getting vaccinated.
The annual hot dog eating competition kicked off Independence Day celebrations, and later on Sunday the traditional Macy's Fourth of July fireworks show will be back in full form with a display over the East River, with shells being shot from five barges in a televised, choreographed spectacle. Beachgoers packed out Coney Island on Sunday
Landmarks across New York state, from the World Trade Center's centerpiece tower to Niagara Falls, were to be lighted in red, white and blue to mark Independence Day. 'If the last 16 months has reaffirmed anything, it's how precious life is and how vital liberty is to our identity as New Yorkers and Americans,' Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement. Pictured: Crowds of people flocked to Coney Island for July Fourth celebrations
'We're not at the finish line yet, but summer has never felt more full of possibility, and doesn't the air smell so much sweeter without our masks?' the first lady said.
Unvaccinated attendees must wear a mask at an evening celebration for 1,000 people on the White House lawn that President Joe Biden and the first lady are hosting for essential workers and military families, officials said.
The U.S. Secret Service said authorities removed barriers at the White House that were erected in recent years to increase security. The change allows visitors to get right up to the fence of the White House.
The president is hosting the event three days after his visit to Surfside, Florida, to console families whose loved ones were in a condo tower that collapsed on June 24. Several Florida communities canceled their July Fourth fireworks out of respect for those affected by the tragedy, city officials said.
