- Title: Reigning champion wins Washington's annual burger eating contest
- Date: 3rd July 2017
- Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (JULY 3, 2017) (REUTERS) COUNTDOWN TO START OF BURGER EATING CONTEST / CONTESTANTS SHOVING BURGERS IN THEIR MOUTHS CONTESTANT MOLLY SCHUYLER EATING BURGER (SOUNDBITE) (English) CONTESTANT, MOLLY SCHUYLER, SAYING: "Fourth time I've been here and I've take first the last three. I think I ate like 26 or 27 last year. But it's lots of bread; it's so much bread, so it's kind of like, ugh (laughs). You just keep shoving the buns in your face." TIGHT SHOT PILE OF BURGERS WIDE SHOT CONTEST IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) CONTESTANT, PATRICK BERTOLETTI , SAYING: "I got involved with competitive eating just growing up over eating, and at some point I realized I could monetize that. And it's been eleven years and I just love to eat. That's my prerogative, I guess, my one skill in life." SCHUYLER AND BERTOLETTI COMPETING SIDE BY SIDE TIGHT SHOT BERTOLETTI EATING BURGER CROWD WATCHING TROPHIES ON DISPLAY VARIOUS OF PRIZE MONEY FOR FIRST PLACE WINNER VARIOUS OF RESTAURANT WORKERS PREPARING BURGERS EMERGENCY PERSONNEL WAITING STRETCHER PAN OF CONTEST IN PROGRESS SCHUYLER EATING BURGER CONTESTANT JAMES FEENEY EATING BURGER TIGHT SHOT PILE OF BURGERS CONTESTANT BOB SCHOUDT EATING BURGER CONTESTANT KENAN DORITY EATING BURGER SCHUYLER LAUGHING, EATING BURGER SPECTATOR CLAPPING COUNTDOWN TO END OF CONTEST WITH SCHUYLER DECLARED WINNER (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPECTATOR, MATTHEW DOWD, SAYING: "We loved it. I think we -- we thought it was exciting but also amazing at the same time in many ways." (SOUNDBITE) (English) NINE-YEAR-OLD SPECTATOR, ABIGAIL DOWD, SAYING: "Pretty cool but also kind of gross." CONTESTANT JAMES FEENEY HUGGING PEOPLE AFTER CONTEST (SOUNDBITE) (English) GIRLFRIEND OF CONTESTANT JAMES FEENEY, RACHEL THALER, SAYING: "A little concerned; I thought he might get a little sick, so we were hoping for no throw-up and that happened, so we're pretty happy about that." (SOUNDBITE) (English) CONTESTANT, JAMES FEENEY, SAYING: "I was hoping to do at least six, so I'm happy I got to seven -- lucky number seven." SCHUYLER BEING INTRODUCED AS WINNER, HOLDING UP TROPHY
- Embargoed: 17th July 2017 19:47
- Keywords: hamburger eating contest Z burger July fourth
- Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
- City: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Human Interest / Brights / Odd News,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA0016O5ZN15
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The reigning champion of Washington's annual burger eating contest defended her title on Monday (July 3) but fell short of her record, eating 21 burgers in 10 minutes.
Last year, Molly Schuyler, a mother of four from California, managed to down 28 burgers in the same amount of time.
In total, 14 competitive eaters vied for the $1,500 cash prize in Z-Burger's Annual Independence Burger Eating Championship.
One contestant, a law student, said he didn't expect to win but enrolled for the free food.
"I was hoping to do at least six, so I'm happy I got to seven, lucky number seven," said James Feeney.
Dozens of people turned out to observe the spectacle, as well as to indulge in a free burger afterward. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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