Japanese competitive eating champion Takeru “Tsunami” Kobayashi was arrested on Sunday after an altercation at the premier hot dog munching contest in New York.
“He was taken in custody for disrupting the Nathan’s hot dog eating contest,” a New York Police Department spokeswoman told AFP.
“He has been charged with resisting arrest, trespassing, and OGA (obstructing governmental administration),” she added.
Kobayashi, a six-time winner of the annual competition who did not compete in this year’s contest amid a contractual row with the organizers, reportedly tried to storm the stage as his arch-rival was crowned the victor.
Earlier in the week the 32-year-old told Japan’s Kyodo News that he still hoped to take part in the chomp-off, which he said “holds a very special place in my heart.”
But he objected to an exclusivity clause stipulated by the organizer that would have prevented him from participating in future competitive eating events without its permission.
Kobayashi’s absence helped his fierce rival, American Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, to extend a three-year winning streak, scoffing 54 hot dogs.
“If he was a real man he would be on the stage,” Chestnut said after his stomach-churning feat in temperatures soaring above 32°C.
Kobayashi dominated the annual competition, held in Coney Island in New York’s Brooklyn borough and broadcast live on US sports channel ESPN, for six years in a row from 2001.
But Chestnut squeezed him into second place in 2007, 2008 and in 2009, when he defeated 18 competitors by putting away a record 68 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes.
Kobayashi still retains various records from other competitions, including eating 57 cow brains in 15 minutes and 41 lobster rolls in 10 minutes.
The Nathan’s hot dog eating contest requires contestants to eat as many hot dogs, buns included, as possible in 10 minutes without vomiting.
This year a total purse of US$20,000 was up for grabs.
(AFP)
人稱「海嘯」的日本大胃王小林尊，上周日在紐約最知名的吃熱狗大賽上鬧場，結果遭到逮捕。
紐約警局的女發言人向法新社表示：「他因在納森吃熱狗大賽上鬧事遭到拘捕。」
她還說：「他被控拒捕、非法入侵及妨礙公務等罪名。」
六度贏得年度吃熱狗大賽冠軍的小林尊，今年因和主辦單位的合約問題而未參賽。據報導，他在宿敵衛冕成功後，試圖衝上台鬧場。
三十二歲的小林尊上週稍早向日本共同社表示，他還是希望能參加這場大胃王比賽，它「在我心中的地位非常特別」。
不過他拒絕接受主辦單位訂定的排他條款。該條款規定他在未獲主辦單位同意下，將不得參加其他大胃王比賽。
小林尊的缺席，讓死對頭美國大胃王「大白鯊」喬伊•切斯努以五十四根熱狗的成績，連續第四年在這項比賽稱王。
頂著攝氏三十二度以上高溫狂吃猛吞的切斯努賽後表示：「如果是男人，就上台較量。」
小林尊從二００一年起，連續六年在紐約布魯克林區科尼島舉行的這項年度大胃王比賽中奪冠。美國運動頻道ESPN也會針對活動全程實況轉播。
然而，二００七、二００八、二００九年連續三年，小林尊都敗在切斯努手下，屈居第二。切斯努去年擊敗十八名對手，創下十分鐘內吞下六十八個熱狗堡的紀錄。
小林尊在其他比賽仍保有多項紀錄，包括：十五分鐘內吃下五十七份牛腦，及十分鐘內吞下四十一個龍蝦捲。
納森吃熱狗大賽規定參賽者要在十分鐘內儘可能吃下最多熱狗，而且不能吐出來。
今年的總獎金為兩萬美元。
（法新社╱翻譯：林倩如）
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