| Final | time | | 1. Renate Stecher |  GDR | 22.40s | | 2. Raelene Boyle |  AUS | 22.45s | | 3. Irena Szewinska |  POL | 22.74s | | 4. Ellen Stropahl | GDR | 22.75s | | 5. Annegret Kroniger |  FRG | 22.89s | | 5. Christina Heinich | GDR | 22.89s | | 7. Alice Annum |  GHA | 22.99s | | 8. Rosie Allwood |  JAM | 23.11s |
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| Semi 1 | time | | 1. Ellen Stropahl | GDR | 22.90s | | 2. Raelene Boyle | AUS | 22.92s | | 3. Irena Szewihska | POL | 22.92s | | 4. Rosie Allwood | JAM | 23.14s | | 5. Christiane Krause | FRG | 23.17s | | 6. Jackie Thompson |  USA | 23.18s | | 7. Marina Ssidorova |  URS | 23.40s | | -. Wilma van Gool |  NED |
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| Semi 2 | time | | 1. Renate Stecher | GDR | 22.83s | | 2. Annegret Kroniger | FRG | 23.03s | | 3. Christina Heinich | GDR | 23.28s | | 4. Alice Annum | GHA | 23.30s | | 5. Nadezhda Bezfamilnaia | URS | 23.31s | | 6. Sylviane Tilliez |  FRA | 23.34s | | 7. Barbara Ferrell | USA | 23.39s | | 8. Donna Murray |  GBR | 24.03s |
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| Quarter 1 | time | | 1. Irena Szewinska | POL | 22.79s | | 2. Nadezhda Bezfamilnaia | URS | 23.20s | | 3. Christina Heinich | GDR | 23.23s | | 4. Barbara Ferrell | USA | 23.30s | | 5. Una Morris | JAM | 23.62s | | 6. Marcia Trotman |  BAR | 24.00s | | 7. Amelita Alanes |  PHI | 24.98s | | 8. Vicent Josefa |  URU |
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| Quarter 2 | time | | 1. Ellen Stropahl | GDR | 22.93s | | 2. Alice Annum | GHA | 22.95s | | 3. Wilma van Gool |  HOL | 23.22s | | 4. Christiane Krause | FRG | 23.22s | | 5. Delia Pascoe | GBR | 23.72s | | 6. Juana Mosquera |  COL | 24.00s | | 7. Maria Luisa Vilca |  PER | 24.48s | | 8. Rose Musani |  UGA | 25.28s |
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| Quarter 3 | time | | 1. Renate Stecher | GDR | 23.31s | | 2. Rosie Allwood | JAM | 23.33s | | 3. Sylviane Tİlliez | FRA | 23.69s | | 4. Donna Murray | GBR | 23.69s | | 5. Pam Greene | USA | 23.85s | | 6. Karoline K¤fer |  AUT | 23.92s | | 7. Hannah Afriyie | GHA | 24.47s | | -. Rusell Carrero |  NCA |
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| Quarter 4 | time | | 1. Raelene Boyle | AUS | 23.06s | | 2. Annegret Kroniger | FRG | 23.14s | | 3. Jackie Thompson | USA | 23.22s | | 4. Marina Ssidorova | URS | 23.33s | | 5. Pirjo Wilmi |  FIN | 23.68s | | 6. Margaret Critchley | GBR | 24.05s | | 7. Carolina S Rieuwpassa |  INA | 25.03s | | 8. Helen Olaye |  NGR | 25.09s |
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| Heat 1 | time | | 1. Alice Annum | GHA | 23.15s | | 2. Barbara Ferrell | USA | 23.38s | | 3. Rosie Allwood | JAM | 23.56s | | 4. Donna Murray | GBR | 23.76s | | 5. Juana Mosquera | COL | 24.20s | | 6. Carolina S Rieuwpassa | INA | 24.68s | | -. Irene M. Fitzner |  ARG |
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| Heat 2 | time | | 1. Renate Stecher | GDR | 22.96s | | 2. Raelene Boyle | AUS | 23.58s | | 3. Nadezhda Bezfamilnaia | URS | 23.62s | | 4. Amelita Alanes | PHI | 25.28s | | 5. Heien Olaye | NGR | 25.30s | | 6. Mabel Saeluzika |  MAW | 24.68s | | -. Carmen Valdes |  CUB |
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| Heat 3 | time | | 1. Annegret Kroniger | FRG | 23.37s | | 2. Wilma van Gool | HOL | 23.86s | | 3. Delia Pascoe | GBR | 23.97s | | 4. Hannah Afriyie | GHA | 24.38s | | 5. Maria Luisa Vilca | PER | 24.46s | | 6. Josefa Vicent | URU | 28.29s | | 7. Meas Kheng |  KHM | 25.86s |
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| Heat 4 | time | | 1. Ellen Stropahl | GDR | 23.54s | | 2. Pam Greene | USA | 23.96s | | 3. Una Morris | JAM | 23.99s | | 4. Pirjo Wilmi | FIN | 24.16s | | 5. Rose Musani | UGA | 25.37s | | 6. Laura Pierre |  TRI | 26.32s | | -. Eva Gleskova |  TCH |
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| Heat 5 | time | | 1. Irena Szewinska | POL | 23.37s | | 2. Christiane Krause | FRG | 23.51s | | 3. Jackie Thompson | USA | 23.67s | | 4. Karoline K¤fer | AUT | 24.42s | | 5. Carrero Rusell | NCA | 28.02s | | -. Silvia Chivas | CUB | | -. Claudette Karen Powell |  BAH |
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| Heat 6 | time | | 1. Marina Sidorova | URS | 23.46s | | 2. Sylviane Tilliez | FRA | 23.51s | | 3. Christina Heinich | GDR | 23.90s | | 4. Margaret Critchley | GBR | 24.04s | | 5. Marcia Trotman | BAR | 24.06s | | 6. Beatrice Lungu |  ZAM | 25.11s | | 7. Fatima El Faquir |  MOR | 25.27s |
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