The news comes as the upstart league, founded by Olympic gold medal sprinter Michael Johnson, undergoes major changes.
Grand Slam Track, the league founded by four-time Olympic gold medal sprinter Michael Johnson, has parted ways with two key executives.
Chief content officer Rick Qualliotine and chief live event officer John Porco have left the company, according to sources familiar with the situation who were granted anonymity because the matter is private. The exec news comes as the upstart league undergoes major changes following the cancellation of this month’s season finale, which was set for Los Angeles.
Grand Slam Track, which launched in April, has yet to name replacements for Porco, who formerly was the executive vice president of live events at WWE, and Qualliotine, a former vice president at NFL Media. Grand Slam Track declined to comment while Qualliotine and Porco couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
The series featured top stars like Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Gabby Thomas in its inaugural campaign, but saw lackluster ticket sales for the season-opening event in Kingston, Jamaica, with improvements at events in Miami and Philadelphia. It canceled its June 28-29 event at UCLA’s Drake Stadium, slated to be the final leg of its four-meet season.
The decision was made as operators pivot resources and funding to next season under a new capital allocation strategy.
“Sometimes we have to make moves that aren’t comfortable, but what’s most important is the future and sustainability of the league,” Johnson said in a statement following the LA event cancellation.
McLaughlin-Levrone’s coach Bob Kersee also chimed in last week on an Instagram post, calling for more financial support for Grand Slam Track after the LA finale was canceled.
“I’m calling on athletes (past or present), coaches, athletic brands, and corporate partners to step up! We need leaders who will commit to sustainable investment in our sport. Our world-class athletes deserve a world-class organization and commitment to match.”
Grand Slam Track continues to seek more investors for its second season, which is still in the planning phases. It has added new investors including Sundial Brands founder Richelieu Dennis and billionaire Robert F. Smith, the latter of whom was already member of the GST’s Board of Directors. This month, the league also announced a wider partnership with Dennis’ Sundial Media Group, which will assist in securing commercial partnerships.
Grand Slam Track offered notable payouts to athletes in non-Olympic years. The prizes for each competition were to range from $100,000 for first place to $10,000 for eighth place, with a $12.6 million prize pot that was to be handed out over the inaugural season’s four events.
The league began as a business collaboration between Johnson and Winners Alliance, the billionaire-backed commercial venture founded by the Professional Tennis Players Association in 2022. Grand Slam Track previously stated that it had $30 million in “financial commitments.”
Sportico reported last year that Winners Alliance had already invested seven figures in Grand Slam Track before its existence was publicly announced.
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