Saratoga Olympics: Students eat to victory

Despite a heavy lunch and fierce competition, sophomore Randy Tsai crushed all obstacles and claimed victory by scarfing down nine 4-ounce hot dogs in the Olympic challenge for competitive eating.

On Aug. 24, The Falcon approached several students with an opportunity for ephemeral glory in the Saratoga Olympics. Those who were convinced of their ability to digest processed foods accepted the challenge and promptly began inhaling hot dogs at school.

Participants had as much time as they needed to finish as many hot dogs as they could eat consecutively, and each hot dog eaten contributed one point toward their score.

Tsai, the winner, was initially tentative of competing because he was worried about how others would react.

“I don’t want to look like a pig,” Tsai said. “But I know I can win this.”

In the midst of the battle for supremacy, junior Kevin Tran had achieved the score to beat, seven hot dogs, and was unrivaled for a good length of time. “I only stopped eating because I didn’t think anyone could [score higher] than me,” Tran said. “But even though I was proven wrong, I already lost my chance to win. I should have eaten as much as I could.”

Even Tsai did not expect to overthrow Tran as the point leader, since he accepted the challenge half-heartedly only 30 minutes before his swim practice. Later, he claims he felt sick because of all the food he had to digest.

Sophomore James Freeman also had afternoon plans in the pool and did not participate. “I have water polo [practice] after this, so I better not eat too much,” Freeman said. “I don’t want to upset my stomach.”

By the end of the challenge, no one was able to match Tsai’s score, crowning him the champion.

“I regret joining [the competition] but not winning [it],” Tsai said. “I have always seen myself as an able eater, but I wouldn’t know for sure since I don’t have any siblings to compare myself to.”