took a massive blow
Japan's former record-breaking hot dog eater has suffered a serious injury to his jaw.
Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi had been putting himself through rigorous training after losing his world record to American chomp-meister Joey Chestnut earlier this year.
The injury means he can only open his mouth to make a gap the size of a fingertip, and means it is unlikely that 29-year-old Kobayashi will compete in the July 4 Nathan's Famous hot dog eating event on New York's Coney Island, where he has won the title five years in a row.
In an entry on his myspace page, Kobayashi, described the injury as an "occupational hazard". Doctors diagnosed his condition as has jaw arthritis.
"I feel ashamed that I couldn't notice the alarm bells set off by my own body. But with the goal to win another title with a new record, I couldn't stop my training," he said. "I was continuing my training and bearing with the pain but finally I destroyed my jaw."
Last year Kobayashi broke the hot dog eating world record by eating 53 and a quarter hot dogs in 12 minutes.
But his record was broken three weeks ago by 22-year-old American Joey Chestnut, who toppled him with a stomach busting total of 59.
Japan's former record-breaking hot dog eater has suffered a serious injury to his jaw.
Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi had been putting himself through rigorous training after losing his world record to American chomp-meister Joey Chestnut earlier this year.
The injury means he can only open his mouth to make a gap the size of a fingertip, and means it is unlikely that 29-year-old Kobayashi will compete in the July 4 Nathan's Famous hot dog eating event on New York's Coney Island, where he has won the title five years in a row.
In an entry on his myspace page, Kobayashi, described the injury as an "occupational hazard". Doctors diagnosed his condition as has jaw arthritis.
"I feel ashamed that I couldn't notice the alarm bells set off by my own body. But with the goal to win another title with a new record, I couldn't stop my training," he said. "I was continuing my training and bearing with the pain but finally I destroyed my jaw."
Last year Kobayashi broke the hot dog eating world record by eating 53 and a quarter hot dogs in 12 minutes.
But his record was broken three weeks ago by 22-year-old American Joey Chestnut, who toppled him with a stomach busting total of 59.
