| Final A | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Carrie Steinseifer | USA | 55.92s | 3. | | 1. Nancy Hogshead | USA | 55.92s | 1. | | 3. Annemarie Verstappen | NED | 56.08s | 2. | | 4. Conny van Bentum | NED | 56.43s | 6. | | 5. Michelle Pearson | AUS | 56.83s | 4. | | 6. June Croft | GBR | 56.90s | 7. | | 7. Susanne Schuster | FRG | 57.11s | 5. | | 8. Angela Russell | AUS | 58.09s | 8. |
| Final B | Team | time | Rk. | | 9. Iris Zscherpe | FRG | 57.19s | 9. | | 10.Silvia Persi | ITA | 57.24s | 12. | | 11.Nicola Fibbens | GBR | 57.36s | 13. | | 12.Pamela Rai | CAN | 57.56s | 10. | | 13.Sophie Kamoun | FRA | 57.81s | 11. | | 14.Jane Kerr | CAN | 57.85s | 16. | | 15.Agneta Eriksson | SWE | 58.08s | 15. | | 16.Maria Kardum | SWE | 58.12s | 14. |
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| Heat 6 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Nancy Hogshead | USA | 55.85s | 1. | | 2. Angela Russell | AUS | 57.30s | 8. | | 3. Agneta Eriksson | SWE | 58.43s | 15. | | 4. Grazia Colombo | ITA | 59.43s | 24. | | 5. Yan Hong | CHN | 1:00.45 | 26. | | 6. Virginia Sachero | ARG | 1:00.53 | 27. | | 7. Helen Chow | MAS | 1:02.53 | 38. | | 8. Daniela Galassi | SMR | 1:06.19 | 44. |
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| Heat 5 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. June Croft | GBR | 57.12s | 7. | | 2. Nicola Fibbens | GBR | 57.80s | 13. | | 3. Maria Kardum | SWE | 58.22s | 14. | | 4. Chikako Nakamori | JPN | 59.00s | 21. | | 5. Shelley Cramer | USV | 1:00.65 | 29. | | 6. Carol Ann Heavey | IRE | 1:01.34 | 33. | | 7. Christine Jacob | PHI | 1:02.43 | 36. | | 8. Karen Slowing-Aceituno | GUA | 1:03.46 | 41. |
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| Heat 4 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Michelle Pearson | AUS | 56.75s | 4. | | 2. Conny van Bentum | NED | 56.94s | 6. | | 3. Pamela Rai | CAN | 57.41s | 10. | | 4. Patricia Kohlmann | MEX | 58.76s | 20. | | 5. Kim Jin-Suk | KOR | 1:00.91 | 30. | | 6. Sandra Crousse | PER | 1:01.02 | 31. | | 7. Sherwite Hafez | EGY | 1:02.78 | 40. | | 8. María Lardizajal | HON | 1:07.80 | 45. |
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| Heat 3 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Carrie Steinseifer | USA | 56.46s | 3. | | 2. Susanne Schuster | FRG | 56.85s | 5. | | 3. Maarit Vähäsaari-Sihvonen | FIN | 58.51s | 18. | | 4. Marie-Thérèse Armentero | SUI | 58.73s | 19. | | 5. Ding Jilian | CHN | 59.11s | 22. | | 6. Fenella Ng | HKG | 1:01.82 | 34. | | 7. Nevine Hafez | EGY | 1:04.06 | 42. |
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| Heat 2 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Annemarie Verstappen | NED | 56.11s | 2. | | 2. Silvia Persi | ITA | 57.62s | 12. | | 3. Jane Kerr | CAN | 58.46s | 16. | | 4. Sofia Dara | GRE | 59.25s | 23. | | 5. Carmel Clark | NZL | 1:00.63 | 28. | | 6. Kathy Wong | HKG | 1:01.03 | 32. | | 7. Blanca Morales | GUA | 1:02.48 | 37. |
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| Heat 1 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Iris Zscherpe | FRG | 57.31s | 9. | | 2. Sophie Kamoun | FRA | 57.49s | 11. | | 3. Kaori Yanase | JPN | 58.47s | 17. | | 4. Teresa Rivera | MEX | 59.61s | 25. | | 5. Faten Ghattas | TUN | 1:02.00 | 35. | | 6. Anna Doig | NZL | 1:02.72 | 39. | | 7. Sharon Pickering | FIJ | 1:04.25 | 43. |
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