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| Mike Cotterell, left, competes against Juliet Lee and Joe Tursi for a spot at Nathan’s Famous Fourth Of July Hot Dog Eating Contest.
(Bill Tiernan photos | The Virginian-Pilot) |
By Dave Forster
The Virginian-Pilot
NORFOLK
The next big thing in Major League Eating doesn't need any help accentuating her girlish figure.
Juliet Lee, a Chinese emigree who runs a salon in Maryland, could drop under 100 pounds on a short fast.
The world of competitive eating loves excess, however, so Lee, 41, was put between the two heaviest, roundest guys Saturday at MacArthur Center for the 5th Annual Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest.
The winner earned a trip to the Nathan's Famous July Fourth International Hot Dog Eating Contest, held in Coney Island, N.Y., and televised live on ESPN.
 Juliet Lee, 41, won the hot dog eating contest at MacArthur Center by eating 26 hot dogs in 12 minutes. |
Lee, the only woman in Saturday's field of 13, ate 26 hot dogs in 12 minutes. That was more than the combined efforts of the 360-pound man on Lee's right and the 359-pound man on her left.
"Seven hundred-nineteen pounds of man, and they are losing to a 107-pound woman!" announcer George Shea yelled in a microphone five minutes into the event.
The crowd cheered. People stood several lines deep to watch.
By the end, some of the competitors had even stopped to stare.
Mike Cotterell, the large Chesapeake man on Lee's right, stood and shook his head in wonder as the crowd counted down the last 10 seconds. Lee kept stuffing her cheeks.
"I was kind of thinking I could probably outeat her, but she was incredible," said Joe Tursi, a 359-pound contractor from Virginia Beach who took second with 15 1/2 dogs.
Major League Eating, which sanctions events and promotes professional eaters, is pushing Lee as a breakout star this year, her rookie season.
"Without any question, she is one of the future leaders of the sport," Shea said.
Lee said she had no secret to her ability.
She said she grew up in China without much food and often was hungry.
Since then she's always been able to eat a lot when the food is there.
"When I see other people eat (competitively), I was like, 'I can do that,' " Lee said.
Dave Forster, (757) 222-5563,
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Yes!!!
Hot dogs are the greatest food known to mankind !!!
Super Size Me
Does anyone still wonder why this country is overrun with obese people and weight loss propaganda? Major League Eating - a sport? I guess anything can be called a sport in the name of competition. Hey, it's time for my Slim Fast...gotta go!
wow
Don't think I'd want to take her anywhere but an all you can eat buffet on a date or I'd go broke. =)
Time's up
Ladies and Gentleman; Looks like we have a Weiner!