| Final 18:15 | time | | | 1. Jaroslava Jehličková |  TCH | 4:10.7/77 | WR | | 2. Maria Gommers |  NED | 4:11.9 | NR | | 3. Paola Pigni |  ITA | 4:12.0 | NR | | 4. Lyudmila Bragina |  URS | 4:13.2 | NR | | 5. Ilja Keizer | NED | 4:13.3 | | | 6. Regina Kleinau |  GDR | 4:15.2 | NR | | 7. Rita Ridley |  GBR | 4:15.9 | NR | | 8. Anne-Marie Nenzell |  SWE | 4:16.6 | NR | | 9. Anneloes Bosman | NED | 4:17.6 | | | 10.Alla Kolesnikova | URS | 4:18.2 | | | 11.Gunhild Hoffmeister | GDR | 4:23.2 | | | 12.Emilia Privrelova | TCH | 4:32.8 | |
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| History Women 1500m | | New Event for this Championship! | | World and European Record: Pini (ITA) 4:12.4 | | Heats |
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| | | First 6 progressed to Final |
| Heat 1 | time | | | 1. Paola Pigni | ITA | 4:17.2 | CR Q | | 2. Rita Ridley | GBR | 4:18.2 | Q | | 3. Lyudmila Bragina | URS | 4:18.3 | Q | | 4. Gunhild Hoffmeister | GDR | 4:18.4 | Q | | 5. Ilja Keizer | NED | 4:18.6 | Q | | 6. Emilia Privrelova | TCH | 4:19.0 | Q | | 7. Lyudmila Safonova | URS | 4:21.3 | | | 8. Vasilena Amzina |  BUL | 4:22.2 | | | 9. Maria Linca |  ROU | 4:24.6 | | | 10.Zofia Kołakowska |  POL | 4:25.4 | | | 11.Anne O'Brien |  IRL | | |
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| Heat 2 | time | | | 1. Maria Gommers | NED | 4:17.9 | Q | | 2. Anneloes Bosman | NED | 4:18.1 | Q | | 3. Alla Kolesnikova | URS | 4:19.1 | Q | | 4. Regina Kleinau | GDR | 4:21.5 | Q | | 5. Anne-Marie Nenzell | SWE | 4:22.2 | Q | | 6. Jaroslava Jehličková | TCH | 4:28.4 | Q | | 7. María Budavári |  HUN | 4:31.6 | | | 8. Thelwyn Bateman | GBR | 4:35.2 | | | 9. Angela Ramello | ITA | 4:36.6 | | | 10.Veselinka Milošević |  YUG | 4:36.9 | | | -. Waltraud Pöhland | GDR | DNF | |
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