Ladies and Men’s separate events in competitive eating

This year, for the first time ever, Nathan’s Famous hot dog-eating contest will be split into two events, a mens championships and a women’s championships.

What does this mean for top female gurgitators Sonya Thomas and Juliet Lee (pictured)?

Well last year both ladies finished in the top ten, Sonya Thomas managed to gobble up 36 wieners to get fourth place ($1,500), just one sausage behind Pat Bertoletti in third. Juliet Lee managed a respectable 27 dogs to make joint ninth place but missed out on a cash prize.

In the new rules women will compete in their own event, with a total cash purse of just $5,000 compared to the men’s total prize money of $20,000. Thomas is expected to become the world’s first women’s champ when the contest takes place this 4th July, with Lee and Larell Marie Mele being the only other top ranked female gurgitators expected to take second and third position.

The new event is hoped to raise the profile of female competitive eaters, and should see more women winning cash prizes as a result, but is it sexual inequality in action? Sonya Thomas regularly finishes in the top five at Nathan’s hot dog eating contest, she has a personal best of 41 dogs and is more than capable of giving her male rivals a run for their money. No one seems to be able to come close to beatingJoey Chestnut‘s record of 68 hot dogs in ten minutes, male or female, not even Chestnut himself who only managed 54 at last years contest.

In other Nathan’s news, former champion Takeru Kobayashi, who brought shame and dishonour to the contest last year by storming the stage and getting arrested for disorderly conduct, has had his photographed removed from Nathan’s “Wall of Fame”.

The Japanese gurgitator refused to sign a contract with Major League Eating last year and as such has removed himself from the hot dog eating event which he won six times and made him internationally famous.

His photo has been replaced with one of Sonya Thomas, possible in anticipation of her becoming the world’s first ladies champ.

Tell us what you think of the changes by commenting below, or discuss it on our fantastic forum: Ladies and Men’s separate events in competitive eating