Joey "Jaws" Chestnut defended his title at Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest.

Despite a rain delay, Chestnut consumed 62 franks and buns in 10 minutes to secure his 16th title.

Geoffrey Esper finished as the runner-up, eating 49 hot dogs and buns.

Miki Sudo won the women's contest, devouring 39 1/2 hot dogs and buns for her ninth Mustard Belt.

The competition faced a two-hour delay due to stormy weather in New York City's Coney Island.

Chestnut expressed relief after the rain delay and uncertainty about whether the contest would proceed.

The 39-year-old from Westfield, Indiana has held the Nathan's title since 2015 and has won it a total of 16 times.

Sudo's victory in the women's event was closely contested by Mayoi Ebihara until the final count settled the score.

Competitors from various countries, including England, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Brazil, and Australia, participated in the event.

Chestnut mentioned that the weather disruption affected all participants, making a repeat of his 2021 record-breaking performance impossible.