He may not be racing on Dunkin’ anytime soon, but Australian James Webb set a new world record after devouring 59½ donuts in eight minutes during a competition in San Diego on Friday.
The event was part of the National Donut Day World Donut Eating Championship on the USS Midway and a Major League Eating sanctioned event.
The previous standing world record was just 55 donuts in eight minutes, which Webb smashed. The next closest contender, Nick Wehry, could only manage 54.75 donuts.
Webb, 34, smashed a glazed donut record set by competitive dining legend Joey Chestnut in 2017.
Video from the competition shows Webb methodically dunking the donuts in water before smashing them down his throat.
Australian James Webb set a new world record after devouring 59½ donuts in eight minutes during a competition in San Diego on Friday
This is Webb’s first major eating championship and naturally his first world record.
The event was also an all-day attempt to raise funds for the Salvation Army, raising money and awareness for programs that serve veterans in need.
Webb is currently ranked 10th in the world in competitive eating, with Chestnut still first.
He was the first Australian to enter Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island.
Webb also enters the pizza, candy corn, and hot dog contests as a specialty.
When he spoke to Femail last July, he revealed he was eating up to 10,000 calories a day while maintaining a muscular physique and also explained why he was not worried about his health.
Before devouring the food, James thinks about how he will “attack” the challenge.
“I always eat protein first and carbs last because carbs (like hot fries) expand in the stomach,” he said.
This is Webb’s first major restoration championship and naturally his first world record.
Webb, 34, smashed a glazed donut record set by competitive dining legend Joey Chestnut in 2017. Video from the competition shows Webb methodically dunking the donuts in water before smashing them down his throat.
Sydney’s James Webb (pictured) shocked residents of the Khartoum hotel after demolishing a 5kg burger challenge deemed impossible. The 33-year-old completed the challenge in just 25 minutes and 37 seconds, sparking his competitive eating career
James said he was able to smash burritos in a minute and sometimes ate up to 10,000 calories a day – but didn’t care about his health and didn’t like vegetables.
“I always leave the parts I like to eat the most for last, like the chicken breast, because it helps me pass.”
Before a big competition, James fasts and makes sure to stay hydrated. To keep his stomach “stretched”, James said he consumes as much food as possible.
For now, James doesn’t care about the health consequences of eating greasy burgers, fries, pizzas and fries on a daily basis, and stays in shape by exercising daily.
‘I had check-ups with my doctor who thinks what I’m doing is hilarious – he gave me guidelines on what [health warnings] to watch, he said.
For now, James says he “always wakes up hungry”, eats after challenges and “sleeps like a rock”.
And although he looked torn, James admitted he had “definitely put on a few pounds” since last year, which he accepted.
“I train with weights every morning for about 40 minutes, and eating so much motivates me to exercise — and there’s no point counting calories during challenges,” he said.
As for the “worst” aspect of competitive eating, James said he usually feels bloated and dehydrated from eating fatty, high-salt foods.
Before devouring the food, James thinks about how he will “attack” the challenge. “I always eat protein first and carbs last because carbs (like hot fries) expand in your stomach,” he said.
James added that he couldn’t be a competitive eater without the support of his partner Kate (left), who cheered him on from behind the scenes at every event.
Growing up, there was always “lots of food in the house” and thanked her Croatian mother who is “brilliant in the kitchen”.
“We always had the food in the middle of the table and served ourselves, so we had to act fast if we wanted to eat,” he said.
James added that he couldn’t be a competitive eater without the support of his partner Kate, who cheered him on backstage at every event.
“It’s not always glamorous, most of the time I’m hanging around burger trucks in the middle of winter, so it’s important to have someone who’s willing to be there with you no matter what. happens,” he said.
