Wingin' it: 'Black Widow' snatches victory from 'Jaws'

By the CNN Wire Staff

Virginia woman breaks wing-eating record

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Chicken wing eating championship is the ninth annual
Sonya Thomas has won the competition four straight years
Hot-dog eating champ Joey Chestnut holds the 30-minute wing-eating record

(CNN) -- The 2010 U. S. Chicken Wing Eating champ is no hot dog -- not this year anyway.

Diminutive Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas set a world record in winning the Buffalo, New York-competition Sunday for the fourth year in a row by downing 181 wings, or 4.86 pounds, in 12 minutes.

Her victory came at the expense of Joey "Jaws" Chestnut, the winner of the last four Nathan's Hot Dog Eating competitions at Coney Island, New York, who was able to put away 4.61 pounds.

"I'm savoring this victory, because finishing ahead of Joey in any food may never happen again," Thomas said. "Before today it had been well over two years since I earned a victory over him."

Size proved to be no obstacle to victory for the 105-pound Thomas, who has earned her nickname by killing off a string of male competitors in competitive eating events. Chestnut, weighing in at 230 pounds -- more than twice her size, was the latest.

Chestnut, by the way, is more of a marathon wing eater. He holds the 30-minute record after consuming 241 wings in 2008.