| Final | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Janet Evans |  USA | 8:25.52 | 1. | | 2. Hayley Lewis |  AUS | 8:30.34 | 2. | | 3. Jana Henke |  GER | 8:30.99 | 3. | | 4. Philippa Langrell |  NZL | 8:35.57 | 5. | | 5. Irene Dalby |  NOR | 8:37.12 | 6. | | 6. Olga Šplíchalová |  TCH | 8:37.66 | 8. | | 7. Erika Hansen | USA | 8:39.25 | 4. | | 8. Isabelle Arnould |  BEL | 8:41.86 | 7. |
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| Heat 4 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Janet Evans | USA | 8:32.69 | 1. | | 2. Hayley Lewis | AUS | 8:33.04 | 2. | | 3. Isabelle Arnould | BEL | 8:40.86 | 7. | | 4. Beatrice Coadă-Căşlaru |  ROU | 8:44.17 | 10. | | 5. Sandra Cam | BEL | 8:50.91 | 14. | | 6. Itziar Esparza |  ESP | 8:55.65 | 16. | | 7. Yan Ming |  CHN | 9:14.63 | 24. | | 8. Erika González |  MEX | 9:17.18 | 25. |
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| Heat 3 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Philippa Langrell | NZL | 8:38.43 | 5. | | 2. Irene Dalby | NOR | 8:38.58 | 6. | | 3. Kerstin Kielgaß | GER | 8:43.52 | 9. | | 4. Julie M. McDonald | AUS | 8:51.59 | 15. | | 5. Elizabeth Arnold |  GBR | 8:56.04 | 17. | | 6. Judit Kiss |  HUN | 8:58.16 | 18. | | 7. Jeanine Steenkamp |  RSA | 8:59.62 | 19. | | 8. María José Marenco |  ESA | 9:09.41 | 20. |
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| Heat 2 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Jana Henke | GER | 8:35.11 | 3. | | 2. Erika Hansen | USA | 8:36.56 | 4. | | 3. Olga Šplíchalová | TCH | 8:42.16 | 8. | | 4. Carla-Creola Negrea | ROU | 8:48.36 | 11. | | 5. Manuela Melchiorri |  ITA | 8:50.14 | 12. | | 6. Samantha Foggo | GBR | 8:50.17 | 13. | | 7. Laura Sánchez | MEX | 9:10.31 | 21. |
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| Heat 1 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Claudia Fortin |  HON | 9:10.54 | 22. | | 2. Thanya Sridama |  THA | 9:10.58 | 23. |
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