| 1 | Andrea Schöne-Mitscherlich (Neo) | GDR | 2:14.26 | | - |
| 2 | Valentina Lalenkova-Golovenkina (Senior) | URS | 2:14.36 | | +0.100 |
| 3 | Karin Enke (Neo) | GDR | 2:14.92 | | +0.660 |
| 4 | Natalja Petrusjova (Senior) | URS | 2:15.77 | | +1.510 |
| 5 | Sabine Brehm (Neo) | GDR | 2:16.24 | | +1.980 |
| 6 | Erwina Rys-Ferens (Senior) | POL | 2:16.47 | | +2.210 |
| 7 | Gabi Schönbrunn (Neo) | GDR | 2:16.50 | | +2.240 |
| 8 | Natalja Kurova (Neo) | URS | 2:16.80 | | +2.540 |
| 9 | Natalja Glebova (Neo) | URS | 2:16.82 | | +2.560 |
| 10 | Olga Plesjkova (Senior) | URS | 2:17.83 | | +3.570 |
| 11 | Svetlana Katsjuk (Senior) | URS | 2:18.03 | | +3.770 |
| 12 | Irina Mikhajlova (Senior) | URS | 2:18.43 | | +4.170 |
| 13 | Gum-Hyon Park (A1) | PRK | 2:19.21 | | +4.950 |
| 14 | Birgit Czak (Neo) | GDR | 2:20.16 | | +5.900 |
| 15 | Christa Rothenburger (Neo) | GDR | 2:20.42 | SB | +6.160 |
| 16 | Sijtje Tjepkema-van der Lende (M30) | NED | 2:20.59 | | +6.330 |
| 17 | Anna Kanatova-Bugrejeva (Neo) | URS | 2:20.68 | | +6.420 |
| 18 | Hwa-Seon Song (C2) | PRK | 2:21.62 | | +7.360 |
| 19 | Lilianna Jezierska-Morawiec (Neo) | POL | 2:21.67 | | +7.410 |
| 20 | Ewa Białkowska-Krysiak (Senior) | POL | 2:22.30 | | +8.040 |
| 21 | Natalja Zaborskikh (Senior) | URS | 2:22.62 | | +8.360 |
| 22 | Ulrike Frank (Neo) | GDR | 2:23.15 | | +8.890 |
| 23 | Ljudmila Boldyreva-Masjkovtseva (Senior) | URS | 2:23.29 | | +9.030 |
| 24 | Susan Sandvig (Neo) | USA | 2:25.08 | | +10.820 |
| 25 | Kathryn Ann Lunda (Senior) | USA | 2:25.85 | | +11.590 |
| 26 | Angelika Haßmann (Neo) | FRG | 2:25.99 | | +11.730 |
| 27 | Sandy Chobot (Neo) | USA | 2:26.20 | | +11.940 |
| 28 | Ina Kopke (B2) | GDR | 2:26.21 | SB | +11.950 |
| 29 | Carola Bürger (A1) | GDR | 2:26.61 | | +12.350 |
| 30 | Doetie Vos-van der Meulen (Neo) | NED | 2:27.79 | | +13.530 |
| 31 | Tilly Bakker-Alderts (Neo) | NED | 2:28.89 | | +14.630 |
| 32 | Michaela Schmidt (C2) | GDR | 2:29.11 | | +14.850 |
| 33 | Elske van der Meer (Neo) | NED | 2:29.47 | | +15.210 |
| 34 | Reina de Hey (Neo) | NED | 2:30.48 | | +16.220 |
| 35 | Simona Todoruţ (B2) | ROU | 2:30.52 | | +16.260 |
| 36 | Mihaela Timiş (C2) | ROU | 2:31.38 | NRJ | +17.120 |
| 37 | Ida Stárková (B2) | TCH | 2:47.87 | | +33.610 |
| 38 | Ljudmila Kostjukevitsj (A1) | URS | 2:56.42 | | +42.160 |
| 39 | Minna Hägg (Neo) | FIN | 2:58.22 | | +43.960 |
| 40 | Trijnie Semplonius-Nieuwenhuis (Senior) | NED | 3:02.14 | | +47.880 |