FormerTorringtonresident wins women's Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest

Jul. 5—Sudo and Mayoi Ebihara, who came in second place, were eating the hot dogs so fast the judges had trouble keeping count, Shea said moments before Sudo was declared the winner. Sudo told ESPN that watching Ebihara, who ate 33 1/2 hot dogs, distracted her.

"The first couple of minutes, I found myself watching her, which I never want to do. I never want to be distracted by the other competitors," Sudo told ESPN. "Watching her, I fumbled my hands. I got stuck with a big burp early on but was able to correct."

Despite winning the contest, for the ninth time, she expressed disappointment that she only managed to eat 39 1/2 hot dogs during an interview with ESPN. Sudo holds the world record for the Nathan's women's division, eating 48 1/2 hot dogs in 10 minutes in 2020, according to Guinness World Records. She also gained the world record for eating the most hot dogs in a minute in 2022, after consuming six, according to Guinness World Records.

"Thirty-nine is a low number; I'm sorry guys," Sudo told ESPN shortly after her victory.

After the men's contest was delayed two hours due to weather, according to the Associated Press, Sudo's husband, Nick Wehry, got his chance to compete. After eating 45 hot dogs in 10 minutes, he came in fourth, being defeated by now 16-time champion Joey Chestnut, according to ESPN. In 2022, Wehry gained the world record for most hot dogs eaten in three minutes, with 12, according to Guinness World Records.

The couple, both competitive eaters, first met at a hotel gym shortly before they competed at the 2018 Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, according to their website. While they now live in Florida, they spent some time living in Torrington. Wehry was born in Hartford and graduated from Wamogo Regional High School in Litchfield. — Includes prior reporting by Layla Schlack and Mike Anthony.