| Final | time | | 1. Hildegard Falck |  FRG | 1:58.6 | | 2. Nione Sabaite |  URS | 1:58.7 | | 3. Gunhild Hoffmeister |  GDR | 1:59.2 | | 4. Svetla Zlateva |  BUL | 1:59.7 | | 5. Vera Nikolic |  YUG | 2:00.0 | | 6. lleana Silai |  ROM | 2:00.0 | | 7. Rosemary Stirling |  GBR | 2:00.2 | | 8. Abigail Hoffman |  CAN | 2:00.2 |
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| Semi 1 | time | | 1. Nione Sabaite | URS | 2:00.9 | | 2. Gunhild Hoffmeister | GDR | 2:01.2 | | 3. Abigail Hoffman | CAN | 2:01.4 | | 4. Vera Nikolic | YUG | 2:01.5 | | 5. Sylvia Schenk | FRG | 2:01.5 | | 6. Annelise Dam Olesen |  DEN | 2:04.2 | | 7. Cheryl Peasley |  AUS | 2:04.6 | | -. Magdolna Rozsane Kulcsar |  HUN |
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| Semi 2 | time | | 1. Hildegard Falck | FRG | 2:01.4 | | 2. Svetla Zlateva | BUL | 2:01.7 | | 3. Ileana Silai | ROM | 2:01.9 | | 4. Rosemary Stirling | GBR | 2:02.4 | | 5. Madeline Manning |  USA | 2:02.4 | | 6. Maria Sykora |  AUT | 2:02.4 | | 7. Gisela Ellenberger | FRG | 2:03.0 | | 8. Nina Morgunova | URS | 2:04.9 |
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| Heat 2 | time | | 1. Hildegard Falck | FRG | 2:01.5 | | 2. Madeline Manning | USA | 2:02.6 | | 3. Cheryl Peasley | AUS | 2:03.1 | | 4. Mary Tracey |  IRL | 2:04.2 | | 5. Martine Duvivier |  FRA | 2:04.9 | | 6. Donata Govoni |  ITA | 2:05.2 | | 7. Elisabeth Neunschwander |  SUI | 2:06.9 | | . Arda Kalpakian |  LIB |
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| Heat 2 | time | | 1. Svetla Zlateva | BUL | 1:58.9 | | 2. Vera Nikolic | YUG | 1:59.6 | | 3. Sylvia Schenk | FRG | 2:02.2 | | 4. Elzbieta Skowrohska |  POL | 2:03.3 | | 5. Jennifer Orr | AUS | 2:04.5 | | 6. Cheryl Toussaint | USA | 2:08.9 | | 7. Claire Walsh | IRL | 2:09.0 | | 8. Heather Gooding |  BAR | 2:19.7 |
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| Heat 3 | time | | 1. Nione Ssabaite | URS | 2:01.5 | | 2. Abigail Hoffman | CAN | 2:01.6 | | 3. Maria Sykora | AUT | 2:01.8 | | 4. Gisela Ellenberger | FRG | 2:01.9 | | 5. Maritta Politz | GDR | 2:02.4 | | 6. Margaret Coomber | GBR | 2:03.0 | | 7. Emesia Chizunga |  MAW | 2:19.2 | | -. Malak Alnasser |  SYR |
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| Heat 4 | time | | 1. Ileana Silai | ROM | 2:01.4 | | 2. Annelise Dam Olesen | DEN | 2:01.8 | | 3. Magdolna Rozsane Kulcsar | HUN | 2:02.4 | | 4. Patricia Cropper | GBR | 2:03.6 | | 5. Vassilena Amzina | BUL | 2:06.0 | | 6. Marleen Verheuen |  BEL | 2:09.1 | | 7. Raisa Russ | URS | 2:11.2 | | 8. Chiu-Hsia Lee |  ROC | 2:11.8 |
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| Heat 5 | time | | 1. Nina Morgunova | URS | 2:02.6 | | 2. Gunhild Hoffmeister | GDR | 2:03.2 | | 3. Rosemary Stirling | GBR | 2:03.6 | | 4. Sue Haden |  NZL | 2:04.9 | | 5. Cherono Maiyo |  KEN | 2:04.9 | | 6. Wendy Konig | USA | 2:08.7 | | 7. Malika Hadky |  MAR | 2:12.5 |
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