Defending champs win Coney Island hot dog eating contests (VIDEO)

Two reining champions can keep their titles as the world's fastest hot dog eaters after the annual 4th of July contest in Coney Island.

Joey Chestnut of San Jose, California, scarfed his way to a seventh straight victory by downing 69 wieners in 10 minutes.

The man known as 'Jaws' managed to eat one more dog than he did last year setting a new record at the Brooklyn event. He'll take home $10,000 and a mustard-yellow champion's belt.

The women's defending champion, Sonya "Black Widow" Thomas of Alexandria, Virginia narrowly kept her title but fell short of her goal for the year.

Thomas ate her way through 36.75 hot dogs in 10 minutes when she had hoped to shovel down a cool 50.

Last year she managed to eat 45 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes.

The 100-pound Thomas said that the challenge of speed-eating is "more mental than physical."

"I have to fight with myself, so I'm going to try to really focus," Thomas told the Associated Press.

The annual event has been held on the Coney Island boardwalk every year since 1916. Thousands of visitors typically descend on the boardwalk to watch the champions shovel down Nathan's Famous hot dogs.

Chestnut, 29, told the New York Daily News earlier this week that he had no plans to retire and that his winning streak wouldn't end with lucky number seven.

"Seven is not the end. Ten is looking more and more likely," he said.