(CNN) -- It was a "million to one odds" that the Olympic women's triathlon race would end in a photo finish, but the outcome is again in doubt following Sweden's decision to appeal the result in sport's last-resort court.
The Swedish Olympic Committee (NOC) has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport following its failure to have Lisa Norden awarded the gold medal following last Saturday's event.
Switzerland's Nicola Spirig was adjudged to have crossed the line first after both women finished in one hour 59.43 seconds and was awarded victory despite protests from the Swedes.
Both the NOC and the Swedish Triathlon Federation failed to have the decision overturned after filing an official complaint to the International Triathlon Union (ITU).
Norden's fate now rests in the hands of the CAS, which will make a decision on Saturday in London. The ITU told CNN it could not comment on the case until after the verdict.
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It was time an Olympic triathlon has been settled in such a manner, and former Australian triathlete Bridie O'Donnell was astonished by the close finish.
"It was a million to one odds," she told CNN.
"Perhaps it's a bit remiss of coaches not to work on the finishing styles of their athletes as one of the girls dipped her head and the other went with her chest.
"I just think that nobody ever expected such a close finish because you would expect after two hours of competition that there would be a bigger gap. I've never seen anything like it in all my time of watching triathlon."
O'Donnell said that Saturday's decision will have a huge impact on the winner.
"It's a shame that it has gone to CAS because the race has gone and the medal ceremony cannot be brought back, but you cannot underestimate how much that gold medal means because it can change somebody's life," she said.
"To normal people watching they just think about the race and some people will say that they should get on with it.
"But that gold could mean €100,000 ($123,000) to somebody and that's why the Swedish team are possibly appealing. I'm sure the Swiss would have done the same if it had been the other way around."
Now based in Colorado, O'Donnell has taken time out of her medical career to compete on the Pro-cycling circuit.
A qualified doctor and a seven-time national rowing champion, she has competed in several triathlons and Ironman competitions.
"I love triathlon and I thought that the Olympic race was gripping," O'Donnell said.
"I was watching it with a lot of people who weren't fans of triathlon and now they absolutely love it.
"I hope that the attention the sport is receiving will now help get people into it because it was really a wonderful spectacle."
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Britain's Thomas Daley looks on during the men's 10-meter platform preliminary round during the diving event.
Michael Mathieu of the Bahamas and Tony McQuay of the United States compete in the Men's 4 x 400-meter relay final.
Argentina's Luciana Aymar sits among discarded sticks after her team's defeat in the women's field hockey gold medal match between Netherlands and Argentina.
Simone Collio of Italy prepares to compete in the men's 4 x 100-meter relay round 1 heats.
David Boudia of the United States competes in the men's 10-meter platform diving preliminary.
Ivan Dychko of Kazakhstan, in red, defends against Anthony Joshua of Great Britain, in blue, during the men's super-heavyweight (+91 kilogram) boxing semifinals.
Nikola Karabatic, No.13 of France, is defended by Drago Vukovic, No.14 of Croatia, during the men's handball semifinal game between France and Croatia.
Jack Green of Great Britain and David Greene of Great Britain compete during the men's 4 x 400-meter relay final.
Carmelita Jeter of the United States wins the women's 4 x 100-meter relay final.
Ethiopia's Meseret Defar reacts after winning the women's 5000-meter final.
Lutalo Muhammad of Great Britain celebrates winning the bronze medal in the men's 80 kilogram tae kwon do against Arman Yeremyan of Armenia.
Ivan Zaytsev, No.9 of Italy, serves the ball against Brazil during the men's volleyball semifinals.
Morgan Uceny of the United States reacts after falling during the women's 1500-meter final.
Renaud Lavillenie of France competes during the men's pole vault final.
Soonchul Han of Korea reacts after he was declared the winner against Evaldas Petrauskas of Lithuania during their men's light (60 kilogram) boxing semifinal bout.
China competes in the women's team synchronized swimming free routine final.
Britain's Thomas Daley competes in the men's 10-meter platform preliminary round during the diving event.
Luke Patience, left, and Stuart Bithell, right, of Great Britain let off flares as they celebrate finishing second and winning the silver medal in the men's 470 sailing.
Hungary's Tamas Kasas passes the ball during the men's water polo classification 5-8 between Hungary and Australia.
Gold medallists Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page of Australia celebrate with silver medallists Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell of Great Britain in the watter after the men's 470 Sailing.
Belarus' Timofei Hordeichik competes in the men's 10-meter platform preliminary round during the diving event.
Samantha Harrison, No. 20 of New Zealand, dives after the ball in the second half against Great Britain during the women's hockey bronze medal match.
Maris Strombergs of Latvia leads the field in the men's BMX cycling final.
An athlete holds the baton during the women's 4 x 400-meter relay round 1 heats.
Dzhamal Otarsultanov of Russia, in red, and Vladimer Khinchegashvili of Georgia.
Cyclists race down the starting ramp in the in the men's BMX cycling final.
Hungary's center back Gabor Csaszar, right, shoots against Sweden's goalkeeper Johan Sjostrand during the men's semifinal handball match against Sweden.
No. 25 Szabolcs Zubai of Hungary shoots over No. 7 Magnus Jernemyr of Sweden during the men's handball semifinal game.
No. 15 Alex Danson of Great Britain, right, battles for the ball against No. 2 Emily Naylor, front, and Clarissa Eshuis No. 16 of New Zealand during the first half of the women's hockey bronze medal match.
Both Azerbaijan's Teymur Mammadov, in red, and Italy's Clemente Russo celebrate at the closing bell of their men's heavyweight boxing semifinal.
Brazil's Esquiva Falcao Florentino is greeted by his corner after his match against Great Britain's Anthony Ogogo in the men's middleweight boxing semifinals.
Egyptian wrestler Ibrahim Farag Abdelhakim Mohamed, in red, spars with Bulgarian Radoslav Marinov Velikov in the men's freestyle semifinal bout.
No. 15 Rudy Fernandez goes up for a shot against No. 12 Sergey Monya of Russia in the first half during the men's basketball semifinal match.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, center, talks to Great Britain's field hockey team members after they won the bronze medal against New Zealand.
Armenia's Arman Yeremyan, right, competes with Argentina's Sebastian Eduardo Crismanich in the men's tae kwon do semifinal.
No. 1 Georgi Bratoev of Bulgaria tries to tip the ball over the net against No. 8 Sergey Tetyukhin of Russia during the men's volleyball semifinals.
No. 7 Todor Skrimov of Bulgaria reacts after losing to Russia in the men's volleyball semifinals.
Egypt competes in the women's team synchronized swimming free routine final.
Great Britain's Alex Danson, left, jumps out of the way of New Zealand's Emily Naylor during the women's field hockey bronze medal match.
Azerbaijan's Teymur Mammadov stands over Italy's Clemente Russo during the men's heavyweight boxing bout.
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Great Britain's Lutalo Muhammad appears dejected after losing to Nicolas Garcia Hemme of Spain during the men's under 80-kilogram taekwondo quarterfinal.
Britain's Georgie Twigg is jubilant after her team's second goal in the women's field hockey bronze medal match against New Zealand. Britain won 3-1.
Russian gymnast Daria Dmitrieva performs in the rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around competition.
Cyclists crash during the BMX cycling men's semifinals.
Britain's Laura Unsworth controls the ball during the women's field hockey bronze medal match against New Zealand.
Kazakhstan's Abdulkhakim Shapiyev, right, fights Bilel Ouechtati of Tunisia during the men's freestyle wrestling (74-kilogram) 1/8 final bout.
Spain's rhythmic gymnastics team performs in the group all-around qualifications.
Canada's Karine Sergerie spars with Slovenia's Franka Anic during the women's under 67-kilogram taekwondo quarterfinal.
Alex Danson, right, and Crista Cullen of Great Britain react during their women's hockey bronze medal match against New Zealand.
Chinese gymnast Senyue Deng performs during the rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around competition.
Spain competes in the women's team synchronized swimming free routine final.
Cyclists make a jump during the women's BMX cycling semifinals.
Kazakhstan's Daulet Niyazbekov, in red, wrestles Russia's Dzhamal Otarsultanov during the men's 55-kilogram freestyle semifinal match.
Australia's Malcolm Page leaps off the boat as teammate Mathew Belcher sails on after winning the gold in the men's 470 sailing class.
Jo Aleh, left, in the black cap, and Olivia Powrie, in the white cap, of New Zealand celebrate winning the gold medal in the women's 470 sailing class.
Italy's Vincenzo Mangiacapre, left, faces off against Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo of Cuba in the men's light welterweight (64-kilogram) boxing semifinals.
Australia competes in the women's team synchronized swimming free routine final.
China's Qingling Song, left, celebrates a disallowed goal in the women's field hockey classification match against Australia.
Bulgaria's Silviya Miteva performs her ribbon program during the individual all-around qualifications of the rhythmic gymnastics event.
A view of the wrestling events at ExCeL in London.
Great Britain's Luke Campbell, left, defends against Satoshi Shimizu of Japan during the men's bantamweight (56-kilogram) boxing semifinals.
Presenters in action during the medal ceremony following the men's marathon 10-kilometer swim.
Germany's Jana Berezko-Marggrander performs her ribbon program during the individual all-around qualifications of the rhythmic gymnastics event.
Italy's Vincenzo Mangiacapre leaves the ring after his loss to Cuba's Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo in the men's light welterweight (64-kilogram) boxing semifinals.
Brazi's Squel Stein is carried off in a stretcher after crashing in the women's BMX cycling semifinals.
Morocco's Issam Chernoubi, left, battles Afghanistan's Nesar Ahmad Bahawi in the men's under 80-kilogram taekwondo bout.
Spain's Francisco Hervas Jodar competes during the men's marathon 10-kilometer swim.
South Korea's Jincheol Kim, right, and Kenichi Yumoto of Japan compete in the men's freestyle 55-kilogram wrestling.
Swimmers compete in the men's marathon 10-kilometer swim at Hyde Park in London.
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Japan's Yasunari Hirai warms up before starting the men's marathon 10-kilometer swim.
Argentina's Miguel Antonio Correa reacts during the men's kayak double 200-meter canoe sprint semifinals.
Drinks are ready for swimmers in the men's 10-kilometer marathon.
Australia's Janine Murray performs her ribbon program during the individual all-around qualifications of the rhythmic gymnastics event.
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Ireland's Paddy Barnes delivers a punch against Shiming Zou of China during the men's light flyweight (49-kilogram) boxing semifinal bout.
Britain's Francesca Jones performs her ribbon program during the individual all-around qualifications of the rhythmic gymnastics event.
Afghanistan's Nesar Ahmad Bahawi, left, directs a kick against Morocco's Issam Chernoubi during the men's under 80-kilogram taekwondo bout.
Australian women's field hockey players pose for fans after their 2-0 win over China.
Thailand's Kaeo Pongprayoon has a quiet moment before entering the ring in the men's light flyweight (48-kilogram) boxing semifinals.
Iran's Sousan Hajipourgoli, left, battles Australia's Carmen Marton in women's taekwondo in the under 67-kilogram division.
Competitors race in the women's kayak single 200-meter sprint heats at Eton Dorney in Windsor, England.
Great Britain's Lutalo Muhammad prepares to compete in the men's under 80-kilogram taekwondo preliminary round.
Germany's Sebastian Brendel, right, and Qiang Li of China compete in the men's canoe single 200-meter sprint semifinals.
Belgium's Gaelle Valcke celebrates after scoring the match-winning goal against the United States during the women's field hockey classification match. Belgium won 2-1.
American Steven Lopez, left, competes against Ramin Azizov of Azerbaijan during the men's under 80-kilogram taekwondo preliminary round.
American Steven Lopez walks off after losing to Ramin Azizov of Azerbaijan in the taekwondo bout.
China's Zhang Yimeng, center, saves a shot from Australian Teneal Attard, left, as Attard's teammate Jayde Taylor stands by during the women's field hockey classification match.
Germany's Ronald Rauhe competes in the kayak single 200-meter men's heats.
U.S. goalkeeper Amy Swensen walks off the pitch after being substituted for an offensive player in the last minutes of the women's field hockey classification match between the United States and Belgium. Check out Day 15 of the competition from Saturday, August 11.
Gold medalist Sir Chris Hoy of Great Britain, right, tears up alongside silver medalist Maximilian Levy during the medal ceremony for the men's keirin track cycling final.
It's unclear whether Russia's Evgeniia Kolodko sheds tears of joy or sorrow after winning bronze in the women's shot put final.
Jamaica's Brigitte Foster-Hylton cries after sustaining an injury running the women's 100-meter hurdles.
Japanese table tennis players Kasumi Ishikawa, left, and Sayaka Hirano weep after beating Singapore in the women's team semifinal match.
Annemiek de Haan of the Netherlands cries after her crew finished third in the women's eight rowing competition.
Brazil's bronze medalist Felipe Kitadai cries on the podium after the men's lightweight judo match.
China's Sun Yang couldn't wait to get out of the pool to celebrate his gold medal win in the men's 1,500-meter freestyle.
American gymnast Gabby Douglas, left, comforts Russia's Victoria Komova during the women's individual all-around competition. Douglas won the gold while Komova took silver.
Katherine Copeland and Sophie Hosking of Great Britain cry before receiving their gold medals for the lightweight women's double sculls.
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