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Here's Why You Probably Won't See Prince William & Kate Middleton At The 2018 Winter Olympics

Many familiar faces have traveled to see the 2018 PyeongChang Games, so you may be wondering if Prince William or Kate Middleton will be going to the Winter Olympics this week. Will the royals be seen at the opening ceremony or any of the games? Vogue reported that the royals were recently visiting Holmenkollen Ski Jump, a 440-foot hill that is a training spot for Olympians in Norway, but this doesn't mean the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be attending the actual Olympic Games.

According to People, Middleton and Prince William are avid skiers, and William said that they often ski in the Alps. Middleton added that they have never tried cross-country skiing. Prince Haakon and Princess Mette-Marit of Norway reportedly joined the royal couple on their ski visit, the publication reported.

So, unfortunately, it doesn't look like this trip really had much to do with the Olympics and there has been no word of the couple coming to any of the big events. According to The Hill, there are other famous faces to look out for though. CNN recently reported that first daughter Ivanka Trump will appear at the closing ceremony and is also reported to be attending several of the sporting events.

Parade reported that this year's honorary ambassadors at the Winter Olympics include former Olympic figure skater Yuna Kim, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, former NFL player Hines Ward, U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu.

The opening ceremony for the Olympics is being held on Feb. 9 at 6 a.m. ET (live) and 8 p.m. ET (taped), according to CBS Sports. Covering the games on NBC is Mike Tirico, who will be joined in the booth by Katie Couric.

The New York Times recently reported that there has been an outbreak of the norovirus among the staff at the Olympics, just ahead of the events. As of Tuesday, Feb. 6, the virus had reportedly resulted in 32 workers becoming sick and 1,200 security staffers left in quarantine. Because of this, the PyeongChang Organizing Committee released the following statement about the situation to The New York Times:

To address the shortfall in security workforce due to the isolation, 900 military personnel have been deployed to take over the work of the civil safety personnel. They will work across 20 venues until all affected workforce are able to return to duty.

As food and beverage facilities continue to open, there will be increased inspections for hygiene. "Our disease control center and other related government agencies here are now discussing countermeasures and will come up with proper measures and will be announced soon," Games chief Lee Hee-beom assured attendees, according to the New York Post.

Hopefully none of the athletes catch the virus and are unable to perform.

With that said, maybe it's a good thing that Prince William and Middleton are probably not attending the Olympics this year, considering Middleton is pregnant and due in April 2018. HuffPost reported that pregnant women should be extra cautious and avoid contracting the norovirus while expecting, since it coming down with the illness could lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances as well as vomiting and diarrhea. In addition, symptoms of the virus can lead to urinary tract infections or preterm labor.

Middleton's baby is due in two months, so she probably wants to stay away from a norovirus outbreak. Though fans will miss seeing the royals at the games, it's a safe bet that they'll be cheering for their team from afar, just like the rest of us.

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