»Oy, this caused a stir.

Another episode of speed-eating: almost 200 oyster in 3 minutes. The previous world record from the Irish town of Hillsborough was under 100. The Water St. oyster dealie doesn't really count as an oyster-eating contest.

Here's a tidy little Flash slideshow on eating contests. Most of the pictures are of an American (duh) wing-eating championship, where ample and pasty men are crowded by lingerie-clad women. Compare to the young and good-looking Irish contestants.

Iron-stomached Norwegian gulps down oyster record. 07/09/2003. ABC News Online

[This is the print version of story http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s940545.htm]

Last Update: Sunday, September 7, 2003. 5:49am (AEST)

Iron-stomached Norwegian gulps down oyster record

A Norwegian man has annihilated the world record for eating oysters by downing a stomach-churning 187 of the slippery molluscs in three minutes before polishing off a few pints of Guinness.

Rune Naeri said he felt "fine, wonderful" after shattering the previous official record of 97 at the annual Hillsborough oyster festival in Northern Ireland.

Local favourite Jim Glackin of Belfast, who beat the previous world record by eating 100 oysters during an unofficial practice run earlier this week, failed to keep up with the impressive Norwegian.

Despite managing to scoff 168 oysters, he trailed in fourth against the international competition when it really mattered.

Looking forward to a late dinner, an unflappable Naeri said "I think I'll probably have something fishy".

-- AFP