| 1 | Ljudmila Titova (Neo) | URS | 46.10 | | - |
| 2 | Dianne Holum (B2) | USA | 46.30 | | +0.200 |
| Mary Meyers (Neo) | USA | 46.30 | | +0.200 |
| Jennifer Fish (A2) | USA | 46.30 | | +0.200 |
| 5 | Elly van den Brom (A2) | NED | 46.60 | | +0.500 |
| 6 | Kaija Mustonen (Senior) | FIN | 46.70 | NR | +0.600 |
| Sigrid Sundby-Dybedahl (Senior) | NOR | 46.70 | | +0.600 |
| 8 | Kirsti Biermann (B2) | NOR | 46.80 | | +0.700 |
| 9 | Tatjana Sidorova (M30) | URS | 46.90 | | +0.800 |
| Irina.40 Jegorova (Senior) | URS | 46.90 | | +0.800 |
| 11 | Lisbeth Berg (Neo) | NOR | 47.00 | | +0.900 |
| 12 | Arja Kantola (A2) | FIN | 47.40 | NRJ | +1.300 |
| Eva-Maria Sappl (Neo) | FRG | 47.40 | | +1.300 |
| 14 | Stien Kaiser (Senior) | NED | 47.60 | | +1.500 |
| 15 | Christina Lindblom (Senior) | SWE | 47.70 | | +1.600 |
| 16 | Ruth Schleiermacher (A1) | GDR | 47.80 | | +1.700 |
| Wil Burgmeijer (Neo) | NED | 47.80 | | +1.700 |
| 18 | Kaija-Liisa Keskivitikka (Neo) | FIN | 48.10 | | +2.000 |
| 19 | Wendy Thompson (Neo) | CAN | 48.20 | | +2.100 |
| Marie-Lise Perrenoud (Neo) | FRA | 48.20 | | +2.100 |
| 21 | Hildegard Sellhuber (B2) | FRG | 48.40 | | +2.300 |
| 22 | Martine Ivangine (Neo) | FRA | 48.50 | | +2.400 |
| 23 | Marcia Parsons (Neo) | CAN | 48.80 | | +2.700 |
| 24 | Doreen McCannell (Neo) | CAN | 49.00 | | +2.900 |
| 25 | Misae Takeda (Senior) | JPN | 49.40 | | +3.300 |
| 26 | Ylva Hedlund (A1) | SWE | 49.90 | | +3.800 |
| 27 | Kaname Ide (Neo) | JPN | 50.00 | | +3.900 |