János Bognár was a cyclist born in Újpest. In 1934 and 1936, he won national championships in the individual road race. He competed in the road race at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, avoiding the mass crash before the finish line, and finished 16th. As only two riders on the Hungarian team reached the finish line, they did not place in the team race. Bognár started the 1936 World Championship, where he was part of an eight-man leading pack, until 3 km from the finish, when he punctured and did not finish. After completing his sports career, Bognár worked as a masseuse. After the defeat of the Hungarian Revolution in 1956, he went abroad and settled in California, becoming a USA citizen in 1964.