How many hot dogs can you fit in a 6′9″, 225-pound frame? If you’re Gideon Oji, that would be 38.
The Morrow resident will take part in Nathan’s Famous 2021 July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest this weekend.
In his previous Nathan’s competitions, Oji ate:
2019: 34, for seventh place
2018: 37.5, for sixth place
2017: 36, for sixth place
2016: 38, for fourth place
2015: 19, for 14th place
Oji, 29, is ranked the No. 7 eater in the world by Major League Eating and is the World Kale Eating Champion. He consumed 25.5 16-ounce kale salads in 8 minutes.
In 2019, he won $2,500 when he ate 57 ears of corn in 12 minutes to be crowned the Sweet Corn Champion at the Sweet Corn Fiesta in Florida.
The native of Zaire, Nigeria, played basketball at Clayton State, last dribbling the ball in 2015. “Since then, he’s traded in his sneakers and shorts for a bib, to keep crumbs from dribbling down his shirt,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote in a 2018 profile.
Although the Nathan’s event is open to the public this year after being closed in 2020 because of the pandemic, you don’t have to fly to New York to watch Oji compete. ESPN’s coverage will begin at noon.
“It is encouraging to hold this event live for fans, who last year were unable to celebrate July 4 as they traditionally do,” James Walker, senior vice president of restaurants at Nathan’s Famous, told Major League Eating. “Next year, we hope to return to the corner of Surf and Stillwell avenues, where we have held this event for decade after decade.”
According to Major League Eating archives, the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Championship has occurred each July 4th in Coney Island, NY, since 1916, the year Nathan Handwerker opened his legendary restaurant. MLE, the governing body of all stomach-centric sports, sanctions the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Circuit, ensuring the contests are judged professionally and that safety standards are in place at each event.
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