A torn ACL didn’t stop Michelle Lesco from making history on Sunday, as she led wire-to-wire en route to winning the women’s event at Nathan’s Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island.
This year’s event, held at Maimonides Park instead of at the usual location at the original Nathan’s on the corner of Surf and Stillwell, welcomed fans back for the first time since 2019 – but did not welcome back seven-time reigning champion Miki Sudo, who opted out due to being eight months pregnant.
Sudo was in attendance, however, to watch fiancé Nick Wehry (who finished third in the men’s competition), but earlier in the day, she watched her good friend and former roommate Lesco scarf down 30 ¾ hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes to win the pink belt, despite not being able to shimmy or jump due to her knee injury.
Lesco, ranked No. 2 among women by Major League Eating (behind Sudo), was ahead of the pack the whole way. Her lead over runner-up Sarah Rodriguez was just 15-13 four minutes in, but she went to work and handily topped Rodriguez, who took down 23.
Larell Marie Mele, who was the runner-up to Sudo last year, finished third with 18 ¼.
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