| Final | time | | 1. Olga Bondarenko | URS | 31:05.21 | | 2. Elizabeth Mccolgan | GBR | 31:08.44 | | 3. Elena Joupieva | URS | 31:19.82 | | 4. Kathrin Ullrich | GDR | 31:29.27 | | 5. Francie Larrieu-Smith | USA | 31:35.52 | | 6. Lynn Jennings | USA | 31:39.93 | | 7. Xiuting Wang | CHN | 31:40.23 | | 8. Susan Lee | CAN | 31:50.51 | | 9. Albertina Machado | POR | 32:02.13 | | 10.Albertina Dias | POR | 32:07.13 | | 11.Anne Audain | NZL | 32:10.47 | | 12.Lioudmila Matveeva | URS | 32:12.27 | | 13.Nancy Tinari | CAN | 32:14.05 | | 14.Rosanna Munerotto | ITA | 32:29.84 | | 15.Lynn Nelson | USA | 32:32.24 | | 16.Carole Rouillard | CAN | 32:41.43 | | 17.Carolyn Schuwalow | AUS | 32:45.07 | | 18.Qinghuan Wang | CHN | 32:49.86 | | 19.Annette Sergent | FRA | 33:17.38 | | -. Ingrid Kristiansen | NOR | DNF | | -. Tuija Jousimaa | Name | DNS |
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| | | Venue: Centennial Olympic Stadium, Seoul. Capp.: 69,950. | | -- competitors from -- nations. |
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| Heat 1 | time | | 1. Ingrid Kristiansen | NOR | 31:44.69 | | 2. Olga Bondarenko | URS | 31:47.67 | | 3. Elena Joupieva | URS | 31:47.99 | | 4. Kathrin Ullrich | GDR | 31:51.40 | | 5. Susan Lee | CAN | 31:51.42 | | 6. Francie Larrieu-Smith | USA | 31:52.02 | | 7. Albertina Machado | POR | 31:52.04 | | 8. Qinghuan Wang | CHN | 32:04.52 | | 9. Rosanna Munerotto | ITA | 32:06.76 | | 10.Carole Rouillard | CAN | 32:09.08 | | 11.Carolyn Schuwalow | AUS | 32:10.05 | | 12.Anne Audain | NZL | 32:10.73 | | 13.Marleen Renders | BEL | 32:11.49 | | 14.Martine Bouchonneau-Oppliger | SUI | 32:28.26 | | 15.Ana Isabel Alonso | ESP | 32:40.50 | | 16.Angela Tooby | GBR | 33:26.57 | | 17.Lihua Xie | CHN | 33:28.13 | | 18.Mi-Ja Chung | KOR | 33:48.96 | | -. Marianna Panfil | POL | DNS | | -. Maryse Justin | MRI | DNS | | -. Tuija Jousimaa | FIN | DNS |
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| Heat 2 | time | | 1. Elizabeth Mccolgan | GBR | 32:11.95 | | 2. Lioudmila Matveeva | URS | 32:12.87 | | 3. Xiuting Wang | CHN | 32:13.00 | | 4. Annette Sergent | FRA | 32:13.45 | | 5. Albertina Dias | POR | 32:13.85 | | 6. Lynn Nelson | USA | 32:15.45 | | 7. Nancy Tinari | CAN | 32:16.27 | | 8. Lynn Jennings | USA | 32:18.44 | | 9. Akemi Matsuno | JPN | 32:19.57 | | 10.Christine Mcmiken | NZL | 32:20.39 | | 11.Jane Shields | GBR | 32:46.07 | | 12.Andri Avraam | CYP | 32:59.30 | | 13.Elhassania Darami | MAR | 33:01.52 | | 14.Jacqueline Perkins | AUS | 33:45.22 | | 15.Lieve Siegers | BEL | 33:51.36 | | -. Erika Fazekas | HUN | DNF | | -. Paivi Tikkanen | FIN | DNS | | -. Mar Mar Min | BIR | DNS | | -. Daniele Kaber | LUX | DNS | | -. Kerstin Pressler | FRG | DNS | | -. Ludmila Melicherova | TCH | DNS |
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