| 1 | Karin Busch (Neo) | GDR | 40.81 | (1) | SB | 2:05.79 | (1) | NR, TR | 1:20.98 | (1) | TR, SB | 4:30.25 | (5) | SB | 168.271 | WR | - |
| 2 | Andrea Schöne-Mitscherlich (Neo) | GDR | 42.39 | (8) | SB | 2:08.09 | (3) | SB | 1:23.14 | (3) | SB | 4:24.26 | (1) | TR, SB | 170.699 | SB | +2.428 |
| 3 | Natalja Petrusjova (Senior) | URS | 40.99 | (2) | | 2:07.03 | (2) | SB | 1:22.28 | (2) | | 4:40.55 | (7) | | 171.231 | SB | +2.960 |
| 4 | Gabi Schönbrunn (Neo) | GDR | 42.41 | (9) | SB | 2:08.11 | (4) | SB | 1:23.64 | (4) | SB | 4:27.86 | (2) | SB | 171.576 | SB | +3.305 |
| 5 | Sarah Docter (A1) | USA | 42.69 | (15) | PB | 2:08.37 | (5) | WRJ, TRJ | 1:23.84 | (5) | NRJ, TRJ | 4:28.05 | (3) | WRJ, NR, TRJ | 172.075 | WRJ, NR, TRJ | +3.804 |
| 6 | Bjørg Eva Jensen (Neo) | NOR | 42.65 | (14) | SB | 2:09.54 | (7) | NR | 1:24.32 | (8) | SB | 4:29.28 | (4) | NR | 172.870 | NR | +4.599 |
| 7 | Alie Boorsma (Neo) | NED | 41.21 | (3) | NR | 2:10.55 | (10) | PB | 1:25.40 | (10) | | 4:42.66 | (11) | | 174.536 | NR | +6.265 |
| 8 | Natalja Glebova (A2) | URS | 41.48 | (4) | TRJ, SB | 2:09.36 | (6) | NRJ | 1:23.96 | (6) | NRJ | 4:50.95 | (14) | | 175.071 | SB | +6.800 |
| 9 | Joke van Rijssel (Senior) | NED | 42.85 | (16) | PB | 2:09.76 | (8) | NR | 1:25.27 | (9) | PB | 4:41.58 | (8) | PB | 175.668 | PB | +7.397 |
| 10 | Annette Carlén-Karlsson (Senior) | SWE | 42.59 | (12) | SB | 2:11.89 | (13) | NR | 1:25.50 | (12) | SB | 4:42.00 | (10) | SB | 176.303 | NR | +8.032 |
| 11 | Thea Limbach (Neo) | NED | 43.14 | (19) | SB | 2:12.10 | (15) | | 1:24.15 | (7) | NR | 4:43.05 | (12) | SB | 176.423 | PB | +8.152 |
| 12 | Mary Docter (Neo) | USA | 44.66 | (29) | SB | 2:10.31 | (9) | SB | 1:26.87 | (17) | SB | 4:36.90 | (6) | | 177.681 | SB | +9.410 |
| 13 | Shigeko Tomita (Neo) | JPN | 43.49 | (22) | PB | 2:11.68 | (12) | NR | 1:26.48 | (16) | PB | 4:44.07 | (13) | NR | 177.968 | NR | +9.697 |
| 14 | Monika Holzner-Pflug (Senior) | FRG | 42.44 | (10) | | 2:11.94 | (14) | NR | 1:25.46 | (11) | | 4:59.25 | (16) | SB | 179.025 | SB | +10.754 |
| 15 | Miyoshi Kato (A2) | JPN | 43.95 | (26) | | 2:12.13 | (16) | NRJ | 1:27.21 | (18) | | 4:53.29 | (15) | SB | 180.479 | NRJ | +12.208 |
| 16 | Marina Koltsova (Neo) | URS | 42.37 | (7) | PB | 2:11.33 | (11) | PB | 1:40.91 | (29) | | 4:41.75 | (9) | SB | 183.559 | SB | +15.288 |
| 17 | Seiko Hashimoto (B2) | JPN | 41.93 | (5) | NRJ | 2:13.79 | (18) | NRJ | 1:25.90 | (14) | NRJ, NR | - | | | 129.476 | | -38.795 |
| 18 | Sylvie Daigle (A2) | CAN | 42.49 | (11) | | 2:14.65 | (19) | SB | 1:25.63 | (13) | SB | - | | | 130.188 | | -38.083 |
| 19 | Marzia Peretti (B2) | ITA | 41.96 | (6) | SB | 2:16.58 | (23) | | 1:26.09 | (15) | NRJ, NR | - | | | 130.531 | | -37.740 |
| 20 | Sylvia Brunner (Senior) | SUI | 42.64 | (13) | | 2:16.38 | (22) | | 1:27.44 | (19) | | - | | | 131.820 | | -36.451 |
| 21 | Dorie Boyce (A1) | USA | 43.15 | (20) | SB | 2:15.28 | (20) | SB | 1:27.85 | (20) | SB | - | | | 132.168 | | -36.103 |
| 22 | Guifeng Cao (Neo) | CHN | 42.94 | (17) | NR | 2:16.10 | (21) | NR | 1:27.90 | (21) | NR | - | | | 132.256 | | -36.015 |
| 23 | Olga Plesjkova (Senior) | URS | 43.97 | (27) | | 2:13.69 | (17) | | 1:28.25 | (23) | | - | | | 132.658 | | -35.613 |
| 24 | Ewa Białkowska-Krysiak (Neo) | POL | 43.01 | (18) | | 2:18.17 | (28) | | 1:29.13 | (26) | | - | | | 133.631 | | -34.640 |
| 25 | Aila Tartia (Senior) | FIN | 43.76 | (24) | | 2:16.70 | (24) | | 1:28.65 | (24) | SB | - | | | 133.651 | | -34.620 |
| 26 | Natalie Grenier (A1) | CAN | 43.76 | (24) | SB | 2:17.99 | (27) | SB | 1:28.00 | (22) | SB | - | | | 133.756 | | -34.515 |
| 27 | Turid Lillehagen-Welo (Neo) | NOR | 43.46 | (21) | PB | 2:17.35 | (26) | PB | 1:29.42 | (27) | | - | | | 133.953 | | -34.318 |
| 28 | Karin Rybäck (A2) | SWE | 44.63 | (28) | PB | 2:16.71 | (25) | NRJ | 1:29.03 | (25) | NRJ | - | | | 134.715 | | -33.556 |
| 29 | Zofia Tokarczyk (A2) | POL | 43.74 | (23) | | 2:19.02 | (29) | | 1:29.61 | (28) | | - | | | 134.885 | | -33.386 |
| 30 | Ans Kremer (M35) | NZL | 51.15 | (30) | NRM, NR | 2:38.26 | (30) | NRM, NR | 1:42.86 | (30) | | - | | | 155.333 | | -12.938 |