Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest 2012: No Woman Will Out-Eat Sonya Thomas
Being able to consume 41 hot dogs and buns in a single sitting isn't exactly a talent most women would flaunt, but Sonya Thomas wears her mustard and ketchup stains with pride.
Thomas is the defending women's champion at Nathan's International Hot Dog Eating Contest, and she's back to defend her title.
A group of women will oppose Thomas on July 4 to dethrone her. But judging by the way she blew the competition away last year, she'll likely eat them up again.
_0.png?w=3840)
The contest will be broadcast on ESPN and here are the times to catch the coverage:
10:00 a.m.: Pre-Show Begins
11:30 a.m.: Women's Championship, ESPN3
12:00 p.m.: Men's Championship, ESPN3
3:00 p.m.: Men's Championship (tape-delay), ESPN
4:00 p.m.: Men's Championship (tape-delay), ESPN2
Thomas' next closest competitor ate 11.5 less hot dogs last year, per Austin Chang of Yahoo Sports, so she is the clear favorite this year.
She certainly doesn't look like the type of person that one might genuinely associate with competitive eating. It's easy to stereotype competitive eaters with someone of girth, but it isn't the case.
Former men's hot dog-guzzling king Kobayashi was of thin stature. As is the case with Thomas, who is slender and quite attractiveโuntil she has hot dog scraps and bread all over her face.
Check out these before and after photos:
Before the Franks
After the Franks
Essentially, I suppose it's no different than seeing any other athlete in the throws of competition. Thomas is a fierce competitor that cleans up pretty well. If you can stomach it, check out here title defense today on ESPN.
Follow Brian Mazique and Franchiseplay.net for reactions, analysis and news from the world of sports and sports video games
