| Final | time | | 1. Tatiana Samolenko | URS | 8:26.53 | | 2. Paula Ivan | ROM | 8:27.15 | | 3. Yvonne Murray | GBR | 8:29.02 | | 4. Elena Romanova | URS | 8:30.45 | | 5. Matalia Artemova | URS | 8:31.67 | | 6. Vicki Huber | USA | 8:37.25 | | 7. Wendy Sly | GBR | 8:37.70 | | 8. Lynn Williams | CAN | 8:38.43 | | 9. Elisa Van Hulst | HOL | 8:43.92 | | 10.Mary Slaney | USA | 8:47.13 | | 11.Cornelia Buerki | SUI | 8:48.32 | | 12.Annette Sergent | FRA | 8:49.14 | | 13.Pattisue Plumer | USA | 8:59.17 | | 14.Angela Chalmers | CAN | 9:04.75 | | 15.Deborah Bowker | CAN | 9:11.95 |
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| | | Venue: Centennial Olympic Stadium, Seoul 69,950. | | -- competitors from -- nations. |
| Round | H | Athl. | date | | Heats | 2 | 35 | 23.09 |
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Heats - Friday 23.09 | | First 6 from each Heat and Best 3 times advanced to Final. |
| Heat 1 | time | | 1. Elena Romanova | URS | 8:48.47 | | 2. Elisa Van Hulst | HOL | 8:48.54 | | 3. Angela Chalmers | CAN | 8:48.60 | | 4. Lynn Williams | CAN | 8:48.70 | | 5. Vicki Huber | USA | 8:48.93 | | 6. Wendy Sly | GBR | 8:49.71 | | 7. Xiuting Wang | CHN | 8:54.19 | | 8. Jill Hunter | GBR | 8:57.28 | | 9. Christine Pfitzinger | NZL | 9:01.30 | | 10.Jacqueline Perkins | AUS | 9:01.82 | | 11.Andri Avraam | CYP | 9:02.18 | | 12.Angelines Rodriguez | ESP | 9:03.39 | | 13.Fernanda Ribeiro | POF | 9:05.92 | | 14.Susan Sirma | KEN | 9:06.90 | | 15.Chun-Ae Lim | KOR | 9:21.18 | | -. Maricica Puica | ROM | DNF | | -. Marie Pierre Duros | FRA | DNF |
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| Heat 2 | time | | 1. Paula Ivan | ROM | 8:43.10 | | 2. Yvonne Murray | GBR | 8:43.73 | | 3. Deborah Bowker | CAN | 8:43.81 | | 4. Mary Slaney | USA | 8:44.15 | | 5. Tatiana Samolenko | URS | 8:44.18 | | 6. Matalia Artemova | URS | 8:44.30 | | 7. Pattisue Plumer | USA | 8:45.21 | | 8. Annette Sergent | FRA | 8:45.94 | | 9. Cornelia Buerki | SUI | 8:48.37 | | 10.Vera Michallek | FRG | 8:51.34 | | 11.Qingmei Chen | CHN | 8:51.53 | | 12.Roberta Brunet | ITA | 8:53.04 | | 13.Anne Keenan-Buckley | IRL | 9:03.10 | | 14.Khinkhinhtwe | BIR | 9:26.57 | | 15.Daphrose Nyiramutuzo | RWA | 9:47.98 | | 16.Dikanda Diba | ZAI | 10:32.88 | | -. Fatima Aouam | MAR | DNF | | -. Polonie D Avek | NGU | DNF |
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