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Ex-hot dog eating champ arrested
NEW YORK, (UPI) -- Competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi was arrested Sunday when he stormed the stage at a New York hot dog-eating contest, an event organizer said.
Kobayashi, 32, didn't compete in the annual Nathan's Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest because of a contract dispute, the New York Daily News reported.
Kobayashi, a 128-pound Japanese who uses the nickname "Tsunami," was handcuffed after he allegedly tried to reach the stage during the awards ceremony at Coney Island by climbing over people. He was taken to a police station pending charges.
"He tried to jump on stage during the awards ceremony to disrupt it," the Daily News quoted contest organizer Richard Shea as saying. "It's unprofessional and unsavory and, frankly, rather frustrating."
The event was won for the fourth year in a row by Joey "Jaws" Chestnut, 26, who wolfed down 54 hot dogs in 10 minutes. That was nine more than the second-place finisher.
Kobayashi had won the title several years in a row, beginning in 2000, but had finished second to Chestnut in recent years.
NEW YORK, (UPI) -- Competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi was arrested Sunday when he stormed the stage at a New York hot dog-eating contest, an event organizer said.
Kobayashi, 32, didn't compete in the annual Nathan's Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest because of a contract dispute, the New York Daily News reported.
Kobayashi, a 128-pound Japanese who uses the nickname "Tsunami," was handcuffed after he allegedly tried to reach the stage during the awards ceremony at Coney Island by climbing over people. He was taken to a police station pending charges.
"He tried to jump on stage during the awards ceremony to disrupt it," the Daily News quoted contest organizer Richard Shea as saying. "It's unprofessional and unsavory and, frankly, rather frustrating."
The event was won for the fourth year in a row by Joey "Jaws" Chestnut, 26, who wolfed down 54 hot dogs in 10 minutes. That was nine more than the second-place finisher.
Kobayashi had won the title several years in a row, beginning in 2000, but had finished second to Chestnut in recent years.
