All-star speed eater suffers professional injury

[CMF Newsman]

TOKYO (AFP) - A Japanese man who set a world record by wolfing down dozens of hot dogs within minutes has suffered a severe jaw injury due to his rigorous training, making his next title uncertain.

Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi said he can only open his mouth to make a gap the size of a fingertip after being diagnosed with jaw arthritis.

In an entry on his blog entitled "Occupational hazard," Kobayashi said: "My jaw refused to fight any more."

The injury occurred only a week after the slender 29-year-old started training to win his seventh straight title at the annual July 4 Nathan's Famous hot dog eating event on New York's Coney Island.

story

[whimdriven]

Takeru was also the Krystal eating champion ...

[tncoaster37]

this time at least we can get an american champion instead of this skinny Jap.

[stray]

I'm still the undisputed Sport Talk Vienna Sausage Eating Champion, by god.

[ScarlettP]

*giggle* I didn't know there WAS such a title.

-------------

I've always wondered if Kobayashi was bulimic. How can he eat that much high fat garbage and stay so skinny?

[stray]

There is indeed such a title. Ask Harley....she was there.

From what I've heard in his interviews, the little bastard keeps it all down and 'deals with it.'

Heh.

[tncoaster37]

I wonder if he will defend his pzone eating title as well. Who knows two eating titles might go back to the USA.

[whimdriven]

Yeah, that's just what we need ... As if the world doesn't think that Americans are grotesque enough in the "eating" department.

[footylicious]

I feel the same as you, Whim.

[TNBear]

This morning's paper says he is undergoing therapy and will compete in the Nathan's hotdog contest this year.

[vanstheman]

I opened this mornings paper antcipating a banner headline on the London foiled bombings. Instead we get a full report on Kobayashi's jaw problem.

I shook my head in wonderment as Larry King ended his show the other nite by saying"Paris Hilton--tomorrow nite Colin Powell!!"

This is one fucked up world.

[stray]

It's all just bread and circuses as Rome burns.

[Babs]

They had the Nathan's contest at Coney Island today. The winner was someone from the USA, eating 69 hot dogs. Tsunami came in second at 66. His jaw didn't help matters much. The winner said he trained by fasting and filling his stomach with water and milk. A kid that watched it told NPR that it was gross...they looked like two animals going in for the kill. I can imagine that they did! I agree with the others...so much hunger and these two buffoons wolf down hot dogs!

[Deleted]

69 hot dogs? The wiener winner. Right.

[Longshot! [ Saint ]]

(*Later, history will show that Takeru will go on to command his own starship and have adventures of his own.)

[coach24]

yea he got acupuncture in his jaw before the contest,that had to hurt

[LimitedRecourse]

(*Later, history will show that Takeru will go on to command his own starship and have adventures of his own.)

Starship powered by mustard gas?