ASSOCIATED PRESS — Patrick Bertoletti of Chicago has won his first men’s title at the annual Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest.
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Bertoletti won by consuming 58 hot dogs in a tight, 10-minute race where the leader bounced back and forth. He surpassed his personal best of 55 hot dogs.
Bertoletti, 39, defeated 13 competitors from around the world. The reigning men’s champion, Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, didn’t attend the competition this year over a sponsorship tiff. Instead, he’ll compete against soldiers at a U.S. Army base in El Paso later in the day.
Read: Defending champion Miki Sudo wins women’s division of Nathan’s annual hot dog eating contest
Earlier, defending champion Miki Sudo of Florida won her 10th title in the women’s division.
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest Patrick Bertoletti, center, reacts after winning the men's division in Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Bertoletti ate 58 hot dogs. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest Patrick Bertoletti, center, reacts after winning the men's division in Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Bertoletti ate 58 hot dogs. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
APTOPIX Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest Patrick Bertoletti stuffs hot dogs into his mouth during the men's division in Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Bertoletti ate 58 hot dogs. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest Miki Sudo, second from right, reacts after winning the women's division in Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Sudo ate a record 51 hot dogs. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest Miki Sudo, top left, arrives at the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York.. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest Mayoi Ebihara competes in the women's division of Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest A girl holds her hot dog hat at the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest Nathan's Frankster mascot looks on during Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest Competitive eaters participate in the women's division in Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Contest People wait for the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest to start, Thursday, July 4, 2024 at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest People watch Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest Competitive eaters participate in the women's division in Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest Miki Sudo, right, reacts after winning the women's division in Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Sudo ate a record 51 hot dogs. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest People dressed as hot dogs react during Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest Mary Bowers wears a hot dog headband during Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest Competitive eaters participate in the men's division in Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest Patrick Bertoletti, center, reacts after winning the men's division in Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Bertoletti ate 58 hot dogs. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest Miki Sudo, right, reacts after winning the women's division in the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Sudo ate a record 51 hot dogs. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest Miki Sudo, right, and Mayoi Ebihara, left, compete in the women's division of Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Sudo won by eating a record 51 hot dogs. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest Miki Sudo competes in the women's division of the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Sudo ate a record 51 hot dogs. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest Miki Sudo reacts after winning the women's of the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest Miki Sudo, center, hugs Mayoi Ebihara, left, and Michelle Lesco, right, after winning the women's division of the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Sudo ate a record 51 hot dogs. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest Miki Sudo competes in the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Sudo ate a record 51 hot dogs. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
APTOPIX Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest Miki Sudo competes in the women's division of Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest People wait for the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest to start, Thursday, July 4, 2024 at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest A woman wears a Nathan's hot dog hat at Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest Thursday, July 4, 2024 at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
Fourth of July Hot Dog Contest People wait for the start of Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2024 at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (Julia Nikhinson/AP)
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