| Final | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Claudia Kolb | USA | 2:24.7 | 1. | | 2. Sue Pedersen | USA | 2:28.8 | 4. | | 3. Jan Henne | USA | 2:31.4 | 6. | | 4. Sabine Steinbach | GDR | 2:31.4 | 4. | | 5. Yoshimi Nishigawa | JPN | 2:33.7 | 2. | | 6. Marianne Seydel | GDR | 2:33.7 | 3. | | 7. Larisa Zakharova | URS | 2:37.0 | 7. | | -. Shelagh Ratcliffe | GBR | | 8. |
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| New event in the Olympic Games. |
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| Heat 1 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Sabine Steinbach | GDR | 2:33.2 | 4. | | 2. Jan Henne | USA | 2:33.9 | 6. | | 3. Sue Eddy | AUS | 2:36.6 | 11. | | 4. Yvonne Tobis | ISR | 2:41.0 | 20. | | 5. Nelly Syro | COL | 2:55.7 | 38. | | 6. Liana Vicens | PUR | 2:57.0 | 39. |
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| Heat 2 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Tui Shipston | NZL | 2:35.5 | 9. | | 2. Dianna Rickard | AUS | 2:36.0 | 10. | | 3. Consuelo Changanaqui | PER | 2:40.0 | 16. | | 4. Heli Matzdorf | FRG | 2:42.1 | 23. | | 5. Felicia Ospitaletche | URU | 2:47.8 | 33. | | 6. Donatella Ferracuti | ESA | 2:48.6 | 35. |
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| Heat 3 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Yoshimi Nishigawa | JPN | 2:31.5 | 2. | | 2. Pru Chapman | NZL | 2:42.1 | 23. | | 3. Hedy García | PHI | 2:42.3 | 25. | | 4. Ellen Ingvadóttir | ISL | 2:43.1 | 28. | | 5. Hrafnhildur Guðmundsdóttir | ISL | 2:44.3 | 29. | | 6. Ruth Apt | URU | 2:45.9 | 32. |
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| Heat 4 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Claudia Kolb | USA | 2:28.8 | 1. | | 2. Larisa Zakharova | URS | 2:34.6 | 7. | | 3. Shelagh Ratcliffe | GBR | 2:34.9 | 8. | | 4. Kirsten Strange-Campbell | DEN | 2:39.4 | 14. | | 5. Eva Sigg | FIN | 2:41.0 | 20. | | 6. Lidia Ramírez | MEX | 2:42.6 | 26. | | 7. María Moreño | ESA | 2:51.1 | 37. |
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| Heat 5 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Marianne Seydel | GDR | 2:32.8 | 3. | | 2. Sue Pedersen | USA | 2:33.2 | 4. | | 3. Danièle Dorléans | FRA | 2:39.5 | 15. | | 4. Carla Galle | BEL | 2:40.9 | 19. | | 5. Kristina Moir | PUR | 2:42.8 | 27. | | 6. Carmen Ferracuti | ESA | 2:44.7 | 30. | | 7. Olga de Angulo | COL | 2:48.7 | 36. |
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| Heat 6 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Hennie Penterman | NED | 2:36.7 | 12. | | 2. Judit Turóczy | HUN | 2:38.8 | 13. | | 3. Egerváry Márta | HUN | 2:40.7 | 17. | | 4. Mariya Nikolova | BUL | 2:40.8 | 18. | | 5. Pilar von Carsten | ESP | 2:41.7 | 22. | | 6. Helmi Boxberger | FRG | 2:45.2 | 31. | | 7. Shen Bao-Ni | TWN | 2:48.1 | 34. |
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