Thomas Mermillod-Blondin is a former World Cup alpine ski racer from France. Born in Annecy, Haute-Savoie, he primarily competed in super-G, but his best results were in the super combined event: he took five of his six World Cup podiums in combined, with the other coming in super-G. Mermillod-Blondin made his World Cup debut in 2007 and represented France at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and the 2011 World Championships. He made a total of 179 World Cup starts in his career. In February 2019 Mermillod-Blondin announced that he would retire from competition following a combined race in Bansko, Bulgaria that month.

The International Ski Federation (FIS) Alpine World Cup tour is the premier circuit for alpine skiing competition. The inaugural season launched in January 1967, and the 2016 season marked the 50th consecutive year for the FIS. This World Cup season began on 24 October 2015, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded in Saint Moritz, Switzerland on 20 March 2016. The World Ski Championship, a biennial event, did not interrupt this competitive season, and the upcoming World Championships were held Saint Moritz, Switzerland in February 2017