| Final | | time | | gap | L | | 1. Jana Henke |  Germany | 8:32.47 | | | 3 | | 2. Irene Dalby |  Norway | 8:33.77 | | 1.30s | 5 | | 3. Olga ŀplíchalova |  Czechoslovakia | 8:36.59 | | 4.12s | 4 | | 4. Beatrice Caslaru-Coada |  Romania | 8:39.11 | | 6.64s | 2 | | 5. Malin Nilsson |  Sweden | 8:39.76 | | 7.29s | 8 | | 6. Sarah Hardcastle |  Great Britain | 8:40.45 | | 7.98s | 6 | | 7. Cornelia Seithe | Germany | 8:41.17 | | 8.60s | 7 | | 8. Kirsten Vlieghuis |  Netherlands | 8:47.51 | | 15.04s | 1 |
| World Record: 8:16.22 | | European Record: 8:19.53 |
|
|
| Heats 06.08 | | time | | gap | L | | 1. Olga ŀplíchalova | Czechoslovakia | 8:41.08 | | | - | | 2. Irene Dalby | Norway | 8:41.66 | | 0.68s | - | | 3. Jana Henke | Germany | 8:42.88 | | 1.80s | - | | 4. Sarah Hardcastle | Great Britain | 8:44.62 | | 3.54s | - | | 5. Beatrice Caslaru-Coada | Romania | 8:45.11 | | 4.03s | - | | 6. Cornelia Seithe | Germany | 8:45.44 | | 4.36s | - | | 7. Kirsten Vlieghuis | Netherlands | 8:47.51 | | 6.43s | - | | 8. Malin Nilsson | Sweden | 8:49.06 | | 7.98s | - | | 9. Itziar Esparza |  Spain | 8:50.19 | | 9.11s | - | | 10.Susana Vazquez | Spain | 8:54.30 | | 13.22s | - |
|
|
| 