| Final 19:55 | time | L | | 1. Katrin Krabbe | GER | 22.09s | 3 | | 2. Gwen Torrence | USA | 22.16s | 4 | | 3. Merlene Ottey | JAM | 22.21s | 5 | | 4. Irina Privalova | URS | 22.28s | 7 | | 5. Galina Malchugina | URS | 22.66s | 1 | | 6. Dannette Young-Stone | USA | 22.87s | 6 | | 7. Pauline Davis-Thompson | BAH | 22.90s | 2 | | 8. Yelena Vinogradova | URS | 23.10s | 8 |
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| Heat 1 | time | L | | 1. Katrin Krabbe | GER | 22.30s | 6 | | 2. Dannette Young-Stone | USA | 22.69s | 3 | | 3. Pauline Davis-Thompson | BAH | 22.80s | 5 | | 4. Yelena Vinogradova | URS | 22.83s | 4 | | 5. Esther Jones | USA | 23.22s | 1 | | 6. Julia Duporty | CUB | 23.58s | 8 | | 7. Valerie Jean-Charles | FRA | 23.64s | 7 | | 8. Simmone Jacobs | GBR | 23.72s | 2 |
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| Heat 2 | time | L | | 1. Gwen Torrence | USA | 22.58s | 5 | | 2. Merlene Ottey | JAM | 22.59s | 4 | | 3. Irina Privalova | URS | 22.70s | 3 | | 4. Galina Malchugina | URS | 22.92s | 6 | | 5. Silke-Beate Knoll | GER | 23.49s | 2 | | 6. Maguy Nestoret | FRA | 23.79s | 8 | | 7. Sisko Markkanen-Hanhijoki | FIN | 24.12s | 1 | | 8. Orit Kolodni | ISR | 24.27s | 7 |
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| Heat 1 | time | L | | 1. Katrin Krabbe | GER | 22.46s | 6 | | 2. Dannette Young-Stone | USA | 22.49s | 4 | | 3. Galina Malchugina | URS | 22.49s | 1 | | 4. Valerie Jean-Charles | FRA | 23.23s | 3 | | 5. Orit Kolodni | ISR | 23.61s | 8 | | 6. Mariama Ouiminga | BKF | 25.23s | 2 | | -. Jennifer Stoute | GBR | DNF | 5 | | -. Gailey Dube | ZIM | DNS | 7 |
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| Heat 2 | time | L | | 1. Gwen Torrence | USA | 22.52s | 6 | | 2. Pauline Davis-Thompson | BAH | 22.82s | 3 | | 3. Yelena Vinogradova | URS | 22.82s | 5 | | 4. Sisko Markkanen-Hanhijoki | FIN | 23.17s | 4 | | 5. Simmone Jacobs | GBR | 23.37s | 7 | | 6. Julia Duporty | CUB | 23.46s | 2 | | 7. Huei-Chen Wang | TPE | 23.63s | 1 | | 8. Govindasamy Shanti | MAS | 24.19s | 8 |
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| Heat 3 | time | L | | 1. Merlene Ottey | JAM | 22.64s | 5 | | 2. Irina Privalova | URS | 22.89s | 6 | | 3. Silke-Beate Knoll | GER | 22.97s | 4 | | 4. Esther Jones | USA | 23.03s | 3 | | 5. Maguy Nestoret | FRA | 23.46s | 1 | | 6. Marisa Masullo | ITA | 23.70s | 8 | | 7. Claudete Alves Pina | BRA | 23.80s | 7 | | 8. Agnes Kozary | HUN | 23.99s | 2 |
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| Heats | Thursday 29.08 10:40 |
| Heat 1 | time | L | | 1. Gwen Torrence | USA | 23.09s | 2 | | 2. Valerie Jean-Charles | FRA | 23.13s | 5 | | 3. Pauline Davis-Thompson | BAH | 23.31s | 1 | | 4. Huei-Chen Wang | TPE | 23.72s | 8 | | 5. Govindasamy Shanti | MAS | 24.09s | 3 | | 6. Rosanna Browne | ANG | 24.80s | 6 | | 7. Deirdre Caruana | MLT | 25.39s | 7 | | -. Mary-Estelle Kapalu | VAN | DNS | 4 |
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| Heat 2 | time | L | | 1. Merlene Ottey | JAM | 23.25s | 2 | | 2. Galina Malchugina | URS | 23.44s | 7 | | 3. Julia Duporty | CUB | 23.71s | 5 | | 4. Mariama Ouiminga | BKF | 25.32s | 6 | | 5. Vaciseva Tavaga | FIJ | 25.48s | 3 | | 6. Denise Ouabangui | CAF | 26.03s | 1 | | 7. Juliana Nzang Obieng | GEQ | 28.17s | 4 |
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| Heat 3 | time | L | | 1. Esther Jones | USA | 23.32s | 8 | | 2. Irina Privalova | URS | 23.39s | 5 | | 3. Claudete Alves Pina | BRA | 23.83s | 6 | | 4. Simmone Jacobs | GBR | 23.87s | 2 | | 5. Agnes Kozary | HUN | 23.99s | 7 | | 6. Jane Thondojee | MRI | 25.46s | 1 | | 7. Jatamsuren Otgonchineg | MGL | 25.48s | 4 | | 8. Feroza Khatton | BAN | 26.14s | 3 |
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| Heat 4 | time | L | | 1. Dannette Young-Stone | USA | 22.77s | 6 | | 2. Yelena Vinogradova | URS | 22.93s | 5 | | 3. Silke-Beate Knoll | GER | 23.09s | 4 | | 4. Maguy Nestoret | FRA | 23.39s | 1 | | 5. Marisa Masullo | ITA | 23.75s | 8 | | 6. Claudia Acerenza | URU | 24.66s | 3 | | 7. Mpoka Mokosi | COD | 27.21s | 2 | | 8. Fathimath Fezleen | MLD | 28.30s | 7 |
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| Heat 5 | time | L | | 1. Sisko Markkanen-Hanhijoki | FIN | 23.12s | 7 | | 2. Jennifer Stoute | GBR | 23.18s | 6 | | 3. Katrin Krabbe | GER | 23.23s | 1 | | 4. Orit Kolodni | ISR | 23.78s | 4 | | 5. Gailey Dube | ZIM | 24.22s | 5 | | 6. Olga Conte | ARG | 24.97s | 3 | | 7. Aminata Konate | GUI | 25.12s | 2 |
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