In a gut-busting showdown that combined drama, daring and indigestion, Joey Chestnut emerged today as the world’s hot dog eating champion, knocking off six-time winner Takeru Kobayashi in a rousing but repulsive triumph.

Chestnut, the great red, white and blue hope in the annual Fourth of July competition, broke his own world record by inhaling 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes – a staggering one every 10.9 seconds before a screaming crowd in New York City’s Coney Island.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Joey Chesnut. He’s still number 2 in the International Federation of Competitive Eating (Kobayashi is still number one) but clearly that won’t be for much longer.

It would appear that the “Tsunami” Kobayashi is suffering from jaw arthritis and his future as a competitive eater is under threat, and only weeks away from Nathan’s annual 4th July hot dog eating contest!

A JAPANESE man who set a world record by wolfing down dozens of hot dogs within minutes has suffered a severe jaw injury due to his rigorous training, making his next title uncertain.

Takeru “Tsunami” Kobayashi said he can only open his mouth to make a gap the size of a fingertip after being diagnosed with jaw arthritis.

In an entry on his blog entitled “Occupational hazard,” Kobayashi said: “My jaw refused to fight any more.”

The injury occurred only a week after the slender 29-year-old started training to win his seventh straight title at the annual July 4 Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating event on New York’s Coney Island.

Big ups to this guy I spied in the Age’s Odd Spot yesterday:

Teenage wrestler Praveen Kumar Sehrawat is a hero in India. He holds a national record for eating 170 green chillies in 5 minutes 7 seconds and can also take in milk through his nose and squirt it up to 3.6 metres out of his eyes.

Competitive Eating Enthusiasts (such as myself) will be pleased to hear of the growth in the sport:

The Nathan’s circuit received a huge response this year, and there are no spaces left at any of the qualifiers. Even the standby lists are full!

Keep your eye on my countdown timer on the right for the grand finale!

That is all.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you montage that you’ve all been waiting for.

The International Federation of Competitive Eating‘s finest moments on Google video:

Enjoy!

Update: By sheer coincidence La Nadine as a competitive eating love story for us.

I think that every year, over Christmas lunch, it is important to pay homage to the brave men and women that eat competitively.

I think I’ll have to pick up one of these T Shirts and a CD (which features the Tsunami Kobayashi!)