Competitive eater Tim Janus dies at 49 after cancer battle

Competitive eater Tim Janus, known professionally as Eater X, died September 16 at age 49 after a long battle with cancer, Major League Eating said. The organization announced his death, which was also attributed to a statement from his publicist in reports. The precise medical cause was not specified consistently, so accounts described his death as following cancer rather than establishing a more specific cause. Janus reached No. 2 in the world competitive-eating rankings, behind Joey Chestnut, and won titles in several categories, including ramen, tiramisu and nigiri sushi, according to accounts of his career. He was a regular competitor at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest and finished second to Chestnut in 2010 and third in 2014, reports said. At the 2014 contest, he ate 44 hot dogs. Known for performing with a painted Viking-style mask, Janus competed on the professional circuit beginning in 2006. Reports disagree about when his career ended: most place his final year in 2018, while one account says he competed through 2016. He was inducted into the Major League Eating Hall of Fame in 2016.