Frank Brilando

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameFrank Peter•Brilando
Used nameFrank•Brilando
Born29 June 1925 in Chicago, Illinois (USA)
Died5 May 2019 in Niles, Illinois (USA)
AffiliationsChicago CYO, Chicago (USA)
NOC United States

Biography

Frank Brilando competed at the 1948 and 1952 Olympics as a cyclist, racing on the road in 1948 and the track in 1952. He raced in both the match sprint and the road race at the 1951 Pan American Games, but was outside the medals in both events. He also rode in the 1951 USA/Japan Goodwill Cycling Competition. Brilando won the 1949 Tour of Somerville, the top one-day race in the United States in that era, and twice won the Montréal-Québec race. He became coach of the 1959 US Pan Am Games cycling team, served on the US Olympic Committee for several years, and was a vice-president of the Amateur Bicycle League of America (ABLA).

Brilando served in the US Army from 1943-46 with the Army Corps of Engineers. He used the GI Bill to graduate from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1951 with a degree in mechanical engineering. As a youth he had designed model airplanes and won state design competitions.

Brilando worked for Schwinn for 42 years, becoming Senior Vice-President of Engineering. Brilando is best known for his design contributions, most notably the Schwinn Sting-Ray bike. At Schwinn Brilando started as a draftsman in 1951, but became chief engineer in 1957, vice-president of engineering quality assurance in 1975, and senior vice-president in 1986, and from 1990-94 he was in charge of all Schwinn’s Chinese operations while living in Hong Kong.

For over four decades Brilando travelled throughout the US, Europe and the Orient in pursuit of improving the design and safety of bicycles. He developed close relationships with the Shimano and Campagnolo families and respected as one of the top designers/engineers in the cycling world. He was also a contributor to the initial U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on bicycle safety standards.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1948 Summer Olympics Cycling Road (Cycling) USA Frank Brilando
Road Race, Individual, Men (Olympic) DNF
Road Race, Team, Men (Olympic) United States DNF
1952 Summer Olympics Cycling Track (Cycling) USA Frank Brilando
1,000 metres Time Trial, Men (Olympic) 23
Tandem Sprint, 2,000 metres, Men (Olympic) Dick Cortright 3 h3 r2/5