Sonya Thomas wins 2010 Nathan’s Norfolk qualifier

June 12, 2010 at 10:20 am by ojrifkin · More posts about:2010 Nathan's Hot Dog Contest, Norfolk

update 2:05 George Shea has the official top 2:

1) Sonya Thomas 34.5
2) Joe Tursi 14

update 1:55 The contest should be over by now. Sonya Thomas had 35 HDB according to a twitpic.

The contest should start at 1pm eastern according to a press release

Comments (34)

34 Comments »

  1. anonymous said

    June 12, 2010 @ 10:42 am

    someone is looking to throw a monkey wrench n this one. Janus or Bertoletti are rumored to be doing Norfolk

  2. Anonymous said

    June 12, 2010 @ 2:16 pm

    Why do they let people qualfy with such a low total??? The finals should be competitive. She won’t come within 30 HDBs of Joey Chestnut. She should really do everybody a favor and stay home on July 4.

  3. anonymous said

    June 12, 2010 @ 2:36 pm

    OJ this is your entire life. On a saturday aft this is all you have to do?

  4. anonymous said

    June 12, 2010 @ 2:44 pm

    Expect OJ Rifkin to spend an entire afternoon searching for pics or video of the contest if google subsciption doesnt send it to him first

  5. WideRight said

    June 12, 2010 @ 2:56 pm

    I guessed someone missed with that Monkey-Wrench!

  6. Anonymous said

    June 12, 2010 @ 2:59 pm

    WOW She had some stiff competition at that one!!! What did they do go promote in a nursing home to fill slots? Oh well a win is a win and she is going to the finals on the 4th! Congrats Sonya!

  7. Anonymous said

    June 12, 2010 @ 3:54 pm

    35? She is way over ranked. Should really think about retiring before its too late.

  8. nunonabun2 said (Registered November 10, 2009)

    June 12, 2010 @ 4:50 pm

    way to go Sonya.

    How can anyone hate Sonya?

  9. Anonymous said

    June 12, 2010 @ 5:07 pm

    I’m sure nobody hates Sonya. She is probably one of the most liked and respected eaters, but lets look at the reality of things. She beats a no name by 20 hot dogs. Joey Chestnut is farther than that ahead of her in hot dogs. So compared to Chestnut, she is less than Joe Tursi! She is way, way over ranked.

  10. Anonymous said

    June 12, 2010 @ 5:18 pm

    The object is to qualify. This is not the finals.

  11. nunonabun2 said (Registered November 10, 2009)

    June 12, 2010 @ 6:58 pm

    I am not going to throw her out there as the greatest eater of all times. But if she is not in a short list your on crack. Ok point taken in her totals vs Joey. But who is over 40 HDB that is ranked behind her? Timothy Janus. I would agree there is an arguement of them being interchangable in the ranking but he seems to have lost more than won against her in other events. Besides X who else deserves her spot? The fact she did a 35 in a qualifier against no one even close should let you know she is going to do at least her totals from last year if not more. But hey you got a right to think what ever you like brother. There are a few eaters out there that get a lot of heat and bad mouthing that have earned it over the years but she is not one of them. She might have the wool pulled over my eyes but I would love to know what I am missing

  12. Anonymous said

    June 12, 2010 @ 7:08 pm

    Also, this is hot dogs, one of many, many foods, which she does not excel in. She owns everyone in shellfish, and besides Pat, no one can come close to Sonya in jalapeno peppers, and she has even beaten Pat. She’s also a top money earner every year. She must not be too bad. I wouldn’t call for her head just yet.

  13. Anonymous said

    June 12, 2010 @ 7:24 pm

    She will go down as one of the top 50 eaters of all time, that’s for sure.

  14. Anonymous said

    June 12, 2010 @ 7:59 pm

    Short list hardly. If you want to talk about the greatest eaters of all time start with Joey Chestnut and a ways back is Kobayashi, followed by Bertoletti, Booker, Jarvis, Lerman, Hardy, Janus, Seiken, Lipsitz, and the LeFevres. Sonya just happened to come around when the timing was right to get attention because she was sort of pretty. That’s really all there is to it. But I must admit that she’s not a bad eater at all.

  15. Anonymous said

    June 12, 2010 @ 8:06 pm

    I forgot to add that I was only talking about the I.F.O.C.E. I think Furious Pete is easily the greatest of all time, and Gal Sone is right up there with him. Sonya’s not quite up there yet with Gentleman Joe Menchetti and Dale Boone, but if she hangs around a few more years and stops losing as often as she does right now she may start to earn as much attention and recognition as those I’ve already mentioned. But she’s got to watch out for Juliet Lee, who is right on her tail, and may soon move ahead of Sonya in the rankings.

  16. Anonymous said

    June 12, 2010 @ 8:46 pm

    EY EY EY, I MET SONYA AND SHES SUPER SWEET LADY

  17. anonymous said

    June 12, 2010 @ 8:52 pm

    You want to know what you are missing. The same point everyone else is missing . You only need two competitors in this contest. Joey and Kobe. There is no need for anyone else to be at the table because the rest dont have a prayer in hell of winning or coming close to 60 or 50 for that matter. .. Year in and year out what is the point of competing in this contest if you know you wont win place or finish third? People like Shredder Goldstein who only major concern is getting to the finals at Coney Island which hopefully will solidify his overranked ranking . . For what ? The satisfaction of finishing ahead of Crazy Legs or Bryan Beard? .I guess its all about beating up on a few more table enders or someone that is undeservedly ranked higher than yourself . If its media play youre looking for u sure as hell aint gettin it with ESPN as a 23 dog table ender. You have names that have yet to make to the big table like the other Goldstein but its not enough for the greedy ones that made it in 4 or 5 times and still want more Sonya is the exception because she was and still is the greatest female eater in the sport and her presence is essential for the sport and for the media.

  18. Anonymous said

    June 12, 2010 @ 9:17 pm

    I want to throw up.

  19. anonymous said

    June 12, 2010 @ 10:48 pm

    I hear that bro but have you noticed the shredder has ceased butchering the sleeves from his teashirts because he has come to realization that his forearm guns which George Shea has pointed out durin the intros, can no longer compete with the guns of newbies like dudlight dudinksi or bubble head monsoon

  20. Sonya's crazy good said

    June 13, 2010 @ 12:01 am

    Participation and winning in more eating contests than any eater in competitive eating history. A winning percentage above 500. More records than anyone in competive eating? Wake up eating fans — she’s the best.

  21. Anonymous said

    June 13, 2010 @ 3:25 am

    The object is to qualify?

    If that’s the case, then why eat past 15. Fourteen would have won it.

    If the object is to qualify, and she ate more than the minimum needed to qualify, then she ate as many hot dogs as she could eat, which was only a so-so amount.

    “The object is to qualify” is not an adequate justification for her number.

  22. Anonymous said

    June 13, 2010 @ 9:45 am

    Look at the totals of the top 2. This was her contest to win. They made sure of it by putting her up against a team of nobodies. Her competition was so intense she could of sat down the first 5 minutes, shook hands in the crowd and still win hands down before the time was up.

    At least she got a free trip to Coney and they can use her in the story line as one of the “Greatest” women eaters alive.

  23. anonymous said

    June 13, 2010 @ 10:43 am

    Maybe you guys should leave her alone. She never has a bad word to say about anyone and is also very sensitive towards these stupid remarks about her which are senseless and childish. As far as her going up against a nobody maybe she deserves to coast every now and then. How many contests per year does she bust her butt going up against the best eaters in the sport.? Quite a few to be exact. Have you forgotten Jalapenos and Bertoletti last month?

  24. Anonymous said

    June 13, 2010 @ 11:08 am

    There needs to be a rule limiting the number of times people can qualify for the finals unless they are able to eat within, say 10 hot dogs of the winning total. That would not only help ensure the finals are competitive, but would also foster finding new talent. You should at least demonstrate that you can at eat 50-55, since it takes eating in the mid sixties to win these days. Only four people should be at Coney Island this year, Joey, Koby, Bertoletti, and Janus. If you haven’t finished in the top three for the last five years, you’ve certainly no chance to win now. It’s a waste of everybody’s time for anybody else to show up. Who wants to keep seeing the same table enders every year? Give somebody else a shot. You’ve had yours!!

  25. Anonymous said

    June 13, 2010 @ 11:09 am

    This would have been Juliets best chance to win a qualiifier.

  26. Anonymous said

    June 13, 2010 @ 1:51 pm

    There is no best woman eater but only eater period and she is not one of them.

  27. Anonymous said

    June 13, 2010 @ 2:15 pm

    I remember she lost.

  28. anonymous said

    June 13, 2010 @ 3:16 pm

    agree with anony 11:08 If you ate less than 35 you dont belong at the table. Besides it just takes up unnecessary space.I go with Tim, Booker, Sonya Joey , Notorious BOB and Kobe . That is all that is required at the table . The rest of you are unrequired., Stay home and watch it on TV instead of elbowing for postiion and crowding the table. Booker needs room to breath for christ sake. Table enders are good for one thing being at the end and there is no room for enders.

  29. Anonymous said

    June 13, 2010 @ 5:44 pm

    This year is going to be special, with both the # 1 and # 2 ranked eaters in the world being Americans. Who’s going to take the title, Notorious Bob or Joey? Wow!!!!!!

  30. Mega Munch said

    June 13, 2010 @ 8:39 pm

    No, it’s better with more people at the table. Who cares if there’s 5 or 6 extra eaters who have no chance of winning. It’s fun to see more eaters at the table and it gives more eaters a chance to enjoy the big event.

  31. mike landrich said (Registered July 4, 2007)

    June 13, 2010 @ 9:14 pm

    Congrats Sonya.

  32. Step away from the keyboard said

    June 13, 2010 @ 9:18 pm

    Anony 11:09 a.m.: Yeah, Juliet would of beaten Sonya. In fact, after the contest Juliet would of created world peace, invented a renewable energy source, solved world hunger, and then she would of flown home on her magic unicorn escorted by alien spacecraft.

  33. Rhonda Evans said (Registered March 6, 2008)

    June 14, 2010 @ 9:45 am

    Mega, I have ambivalent feelings about having lots of people at the final table. Yes, it’s a feather in every eater’s cap, and rightfully so, to make the final table. But unless you’re in the center of the table, capable of downing upwards of 55 HDBs, with a real chance of winning, fans I don’t think fans really care.

    However, I guess the final table does represent a who’s who in CE, and it’s probably important for fans to get a glimpse of, or perhaps even chat with, Sonya Thomas, Badlands Booker, or Crazy Legs Conti. (I sure hope he makes it, by the way. Good luck Legs!)

  34. tiger wings and things said

    June 14, 2010 @ 4:35 pm

    sonia is no doubt a top 5 eater in the world. r we being serious here or what? she holds more records than guiness does. sonia i love u sonia! you CE geeks need a life.

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