| Final | Time | ______________ | | 1. Soviet Union |  _ | 3:20.2 | | Tatiana Prorochenko, Tatiana Goishchik, Nina Ziuskova, Irina Nazarova | | 2. East Germany | _ | 3:20.4 | | Gabriele Lowe, Barbara Krug, Christina Lathan, Marita Koch | | 3. Great Britain | _ | 3:27.5 | | Linsey Macdonald, Michelle Probert, Joslyn Hoyte-Smith, Janine Macgregor | | 4. Romania | _ | 3:27.7 | | Iboia Korodi, Niculina Lazarciuc, Maria Samungi, Elena Tarfta | | 5. Hungary | _ | 3:27.9 | | Iren Orosz, Judit Forgecs, Eva Toth, Ilona Pal | | 6. Poland | _ | 3:27.9 | | Grazyna Oliszewska, Elzbieta Katolik, Jolanta Januchta, Malgorzata Dunecka | | 7. Belgium | _ | 3:31.6 | | Lea Alaerts, Regine Berg, Anne Michel, Rosine Wallez | | -. Bulgaria | DNF | | Svobodka Damianova, Rositsa Stamenova, Milena Andonova, Bonka Dimova |
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| Heat 1 | Time | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | | 1. Soviet Union | _ | 3:25.3 | Olga Mineeva | Tatiana Goishchik | Liudmila Chernova | Tatiana Prorochenko | | 2. Bulgaria | _ | 3:28.7 | Svobodka Damianova | Rositsa Stamenova | Milena Andonova | Bonka Dimova | | 3. Great Britain | _ | 3:29.0 | Linsey Macdonald | Michelle Probert | Joslyn Hoyte-Smith | Janine Macgregor | | 4. Jamaica | _ | 3:31.5 | Ruth Simpson | Jacqueline Rusey | Cathy Rattray | Merlene Ottey | | 5. Italy | _ | 3:46.2 | Rosanna Lombardo | Agnese Rossamai | Daniela Porcelli | Erika Rossi |
| Heat 2 | Time | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | | 1. East Germany | _ | 3:28.7 | Gabriele Lowe | Barbara Krug | Christina Lathan | Marita Koch | | 2. Poland | _ | 3:29.7 | Grazyna Oliszewska | Jolanta Januchta | Elzbieta Katolik | Malgorzata Dunecka | | 3. Hungary | _ | 3:29.7 | Iren Orosz | Judit Forgacs | Iboiya Petrika | Ilona Pal | | 4. Romania | _ | 3:29.8 | Iboia Korodi | Niculina Lazarciuc | Maria Samungi | Elena Tarfta | | 5. Belgium | _ | 3:30.7 | Lea Alaerts | Regine Berg | Anne Michel | Rosine Wallez | | 6. Nigeria | _ | 3:36.0 | Gloria Ayanlaja | Kehinde Vaughan | Asele Woy | Mary Akinyemi |
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