Two Plus Two Older Archives - World Eating Championship (Spoilers)

Perhaps this should have been posted in the sports forum.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4149974.stm

Takeru Kobayashi in the dumpling eating contest in Hong Kong
Takeru Kobayashi wolfed down 83 dumplings in eight minutes
A Japanese speed-eating champion has claimed the title in a Hong Kong dumpling-eating contest.

Takeru Kobayashi polished off 83 of the steamed vegetarian dumplings in eight minutes, easily beating Hong Kong's Johnny Wu into second place with 76.

Mr Kobayashi will take on the best six competitors in a final pork bun eating race on Sunday.

The 27-year-old is known as the hot dog king after winning a hot dog eating event in New York five years in a row.

Lightweight winner

Mr Kobayashi, competing for the first time in Hong Kong, wielded his chopsticks expertly to gobble down the dumplings.

"I feel very excited," he told the Associated Press news agency after the race.

Kobayashi has been the world hot dog eating champion for five years
He said he had not eaten to full capacity because of the need to "reserve room" for Sunday's final, adding that dumplings were easier to gulp down than hot dogs.

Mr Kobayashi, who weighs only 65kg (10st 4lb), holds the world record for hot dog eating - an impressive 53-and-a-half frankfurters in 12 minutes.

Second-placed Mr Wu said he had been "fortunate" to compete against a record-holding competitive eater.

"I'm only an amateur and he's a professional," he said, adding that he would have to work on his strategy before tackling the pork buns.

Mr Kobayashi, from Nagoya in Japan, predicted the pork bun final would be tough, since they would be harder to swallow than the small, soft dumplings.