| Final A | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Tiffany Cohen | USA | 4:07.10 | 1. | | 2. Sarah Hardcastle | GBR | 4:10.27 | 2. | | 3. June Croft | GBR | 4:11.49 | 5. | | 4. Kim Linehan | USA | 4:12.26 | 3. | | 5. Anna McVann | AUS | 4:13.95 | 4. | | 6. Jolande van der Meer | NED | 4:16.05 | 7. | | 7. Birgit Kowalczik | FRG | 4:16.33 | 8. | | 8. Julie Daigneault | CAN | 4:16.41 | 6. |
| Final B | Team | time | Rk. | | 9. Susie Baumer | AUS | 4:15.46 | 15. | | 10.Donna McGinnis | CAN | 4:15.59 | 13. | | 11.Ann Linder | SWE | 4:17.55 | 9. | | 12.Carla Lasi | ITA | 4:18.57 | 11. | | 13.Monica Olmi | ITA | 4:19.22 | 10. | | 14.Chikako Nakamori | JPN | 4:20.18 | 14. | | 15.Wen San | TPE | 4:21.61 | 16. | | 16.Irma Huerta | MEX | 4:23.34 | 17. |
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| Heat 4 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Tiffany Cohen | USA | 4:11.49 | 1. | | 2. Sarah Hardcastle | GBR | 4:11.55 | 2. | | 3. Birgit Kowalczik | FRG | 4:17.92 | 8. | | 4. Donna McGinnis | CAN | 4:19.48 | 13. | | 5. Chikako Nakamori | JPN | 4:20.13 | 14. | | 6. Carol Ann Heavey | IRE | 4:36.07 | 22. | | 7. Fenella Ng | HKG | 4:43.41 | 25. |
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| Heat 3 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Kim Linehan | USA | 4:15.08 | 3. | | 2. Anna McVann | AUS | 4:15.21 | 4. | | 3. Ann Linder | SWE | 4:18.28 | 9. | | 4. Susie Baumer | AUS | 4:20.69 | 15. | | 5. Wen San | TPE | 4:23.30 | 16. | | 6. Nadia Krüger | SUI | 4:28.20 | 18. | | 7. Karen Slowing-Aceituno | GUA | 4:36.87 | 23. |
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| Heat 2 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. June Croft | GBR | 4:15.51 | 5. | | 2. Julie Daigneault | CAN | 4:16.60 | 6. | | 3. Jolande van der Meer | NED | 4:16.65 | 7. | | 4. Irma Huerta | MEX | 4:25.13 | 17. | | 5. Junko Sakurai | JPN | 4:28.68 | 19. |
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| Heat 1 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Monica Olmi | ITA | 4:18.70 | 10. | | 2. Carla Lasi | ITA | 4:18.90 | 11. | | 3. Ina Beyermann | FRG | 4:18.94 | 12. | | 4. Sofia Dara | GRE | 4:31.76 | 20. | | 5. Hadar Rubinstein | ISR | 4:34.95 | 21. | | 6. Chang Hui-Chien | TPE | 4:42.47 | 24. |
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