| Final | time | | 1. Tatyana Kazankina |  URS | 4:05.48 | | 2. Gunhild Hoffmeister |  GDR | 4:06.02 | | 3. Ulrike Klapezynski | GDR | 4:06.09 | | 4. Nikolina Shtereva |  BUL | 4:06.57 | | 5. Lyudmila Bragina | URS | 4:07.20 | | 6. Gabriella Dorio |  ITA | 4:07.27 | | 7. Ellen Wellmann |  FRG | 4:07.91 | | 8. Janice Merrill |  USA | 4:08.54 | | 9. Nina Holmen |  FIN | 4:09.55 |
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| Semi 1 | time | | 1. Ulrike Klapezynski | GDR | 4:02.13 | | 2. Nikolina Chtereva | BUL | 4:02.33 | | 3. Liudmila Bragina | URS | 4:02.41 | | 4. Gunhild Hoffmeister | GDR | 4:02.45 | | 5. Janice Merrill | USA | 4:02.61 | | 6. Raisa Katiukova | URS | 4:03.20 | | 7. Brigitte Kraus | FRG | 4:04.21 | | 8. Grete Waitz |  NOR | 4:04.80 | | 9. Sonja Castelein |  BEL | 4:13.46 |
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| Semi 2 | time | | 1. Tatiana Kazankina | URS | 4:07.37 | | 2. Nina Holmen | FIN | 4:07.53 | | 3. Ellen Wellmann | FRG | 4:07.54 | | 4. Gabriell Dorio | ITA | 4:07.61 | | 5. Mary Stewart |  GBR | 4:07.65 | | 6. Vessela Yatzinska | BUL | 4:07.89 | | 7. Natalia Marasescu |  ROM | 4:07.92 | | 8. Christine Stoll | GDR | 4:08.28 | | 9. Francie Larrieu | USA | 4:09.07 |
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| Heat 1 | time | | 1. Gabriell Dorio | ITA | 4:10.84 | | 2. Raisa Katiukova | URS | 4:10.88 | | 3. Janice Merrill | USA | 4:10.92 | | 4. Mary Stewart | GBR | 4:11.10 | | 5. Maricica Puica | ROM | 4:12.62 | | 6. Rossitza Pekhlivanova | BUL | 4:13.11 | | 7. Judith Pollock |  AUS | 4:14.22 | | 8. Bernadet Vanroy | BEL | 4:16.27 | | 9. Magdolna Lazar |  HUN | 4:23.30 | | -.Maria Ritter |  LIE | DNS |
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| Heat 2 | time | | 1. Liudmila Bragina | URS | 4:07.11 | | 2. Christine Stoll | GDR | 4:07.13 | | 3. Nina Holmen | FIN | 4:07.14 | | 4. Grete Waitz | NOR | 4:07.20 | | 5. Ellen Wellmann | FRG | 4:07.20 | | 6. Francie Larrieu | USA | 4:07.21 | | 7. Dianne Zorn |  NZL | 4:12.81 | | 8. Thelma Wright |  CAN | 4:15.23 | | 9. Ndew Niang |  SEN | 4:44.64 |
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| Heat 3 | time | | 1. Ulrike Klapezynski | GDR | 4:11.62 | | 2. Tatiana Kazankina | URS | 4:12.10 | | 3. Vessela Yatzinska | BUL | 4:12.72 | | 4. Sonja Castelein | BEL | 4:12.95 | | 5. Penny Yule | GBR | 4:13.36 | | 6. Ilona Silai | ROM | 4:13.61 | | 7. Margheri Gargano | ITA | 4:15.94 | | 8. Carmen Valero |  ESP | 4:17.65 | | 9. Penny Werthner | CAN | 4:18.19 |
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| Heat 4 | time | | 1. Brigitte Kraus | FRG | 4:07.79 | | 2. Gunhild Hoffmeister | GDR | 4:08.23 | | 3. Natalia Marasescu | ROM | 4:08.31 | | 4. Nikolina Chtereva | BUL | 4:08.38 | | 5. Mary Purcell |  IRL | 4:08.63 | | 6. Cynthia Poor | USA | 4:08.89 | | 7. Anne Garrett | NZL | 4:10.68 | | 8. Silvana Cruciata | ITA | 4:16.78 | | 9. Lilja Guomundsdottir |  ISL | 4:20.27 |
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