Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas competes in the Women’s 2011 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island, Brooklyn. She won by eating 40 hot dogs and buns.
105-pound woman takes first female title at hot dog-eating contest
“I’m so full of hot dogs, but I definitely can eat something later tonight,” says Sonya Thomas after claiming the first women’s division title at Nathan’s annual July 4th pig-out.
Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas competes in the Women’s 2011 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island, Brooklyn. She won by eating 40 hot dogs and buns.
There were a lot of firsts but no bests at the 2011 Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island in New York on Monday, where two dozen competitors stuffed themselves with a few hundred hotdogs in 10 minutes.
This year for the first time, China sent three hungry men to the 94th annual Fourth of July pig-out, sponsored by Nathan’s Famous hot dogs and Major League Eating, the promoters..
Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas, weighing in at 105 pounds, jawed through 40 dogs and buns in 10 minutes, claiming the first women’s division title and the first pink Pepto Bismol belt. She was a couple of meals ahead of second-place Juliet Lee’s 29.5.
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“These are suffragettes for a new era,” MLE President George Shea told anyone who would listen.
MLE and Nathan’s already had to eat their words after announcing the new women’s division and then offering a top prize of $2,500, compared with $10,000 for the men. Before chow time, they’d equalized the champions’ cheques.
“Honestly, I thought of other sports where the women’s money is less than the men’s money,” said Wayne Norbitz, president of Nathan’s Famous, by way of explanation.
“I can’t measure how I’m feeling right now. I’m so happy,” Thomas, 43, told ESPN, which covered the event live. “I’m so full of hot dogs, but I definitely can eat something later tonight.”
For the fifth time, reigning world champion competitive eater Joey Chestnut, 27 and 230 pounds, captured the Mustard Belt, now the men’s division top prize. He ploughed through 62 wieners and buns in 10 minutes.
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Neither hit their personal best: 41 for Thomas and 68 for Chestnut back in the day when they were competing against each other. Last September, she downed 181 chicken wings to his 169 during the National Buffalo Wing Festival in Buffalo.
None of the Chinese team placed in the top five, said Shea Communications’ Alexis Schneider.
