| 1 | Karin Kania-Enke (Senior) | GDR | 39.94 | (1) | TR | 1:18.84 | (1) | WR | 40.00 | (1) | | 1:21.40 | (2) | | 160.060 | WR | - |
| 2 | Christa Rothenburger (Senior) | GDR | 40.47 | (2) | | 1:20.84 | (2) | PB | 40.08 | (2) | SB | 1:23.50 | (7) | | 162.720 | SB | +2.660 |
| 3 | Bonnie Blair (Neo) | USA | 40.73 | (3) | | 1:23.57 | (6) | | 40.08 | (2) | NR | 1:22.20 | (4) | NR | 163.695 | NR | +3.635 |
| 4 | Seiko Hashimoto (Neo) | JPN | 40.88 | (4) | | 1:21.97 | (3) | NR | 40.74 | (3) | NR | 1:22.42 | (5) | | 163.815 | NR | +3.755 |
| 5 | Angela Stahnke (Neo) | GDR | 41.14 | (6) | | 1:23.86 | (7) | | 40.85 | (5) | PB | 1:20.76 | (1) | PB | 164.300 | PB | +4.240 |
| 6 | Andrea Ehrig-Mitscherlich (Senior) | GDR | 41.42 | (10) | | 1:22.26 | (4) | | 41.53 | (11) | | 1:21.54 | (3) | SB | 164.850 | SB | +4.790 |
| 7 | Natalja Artamonova-Kurova (Senior) | URS | 41.22 | (8) | PB | 1:23.11 | (5) | SB | 41.37 | (9) | | 1:23.43 | (6) | | 165.860 | SB | +5.800 |
| 8 | Monika Gawenus-Pflug (Senior) | FRG | 41.17 | (7) | NR | 1:24.54 | (9) | | 40.76 | (4) | NR | 1:24.75 | (10) | | 166.575 | NR | +6.515 |
| 9 | Edel Therese Høiseth (Neo) | NOR | 41.41 | (9) | NR | 1:24.62 | (10) | | 41.12 | (6) | NR | 1:25.60 | (12) | | 167.640 | NR | +7.580 |
| 10 | Erwina Rys-Ferens (Senior) | POL | 41.94 | (15) | | 1:25.04 | (14) | | 42.15 | (20) | | 1:23.75 | (8) | SB | 168.485 | SB | +8.425 |
| 11 | Shouko Fusano (Neo) | JPN | 41.49 | (11) | | 1:25.11 | (15) | | 41.31 | (7) | SB | 1:26.27 | (19) | | 168.490 | SB | +8.430 |
| 12 | Irina Kulesjova (Senior) | URS | 41.10 | (5) | PB | 1:24.47 | (8) | PB | 42.11 | (18) | | 1:26.22 | (17) | | 168.555 | SB | +8.495 |
| 13 | Marieke Stam (Neo) | NED | 42.07 | (16) | SB | 1:24.75 | (12) | | 42.15 | (20) | | 1:24.13 | (9) | SB | 168.660 | SB | +8.600 |
| 14 | Zofia Tokarczyk (Neo) | POL | 41.51 | (12) | | 1:25.71 | (17) | | 41.58 | (12) | | 1:26.24 | (18) | | 169.065 | SB | +9.005 |
| 15 | Natalie Grenier (Neo) | CAN | 42.11 | (17) | | 1:25.13 | (16) | | 41.76 | (15) | SB | 1:25.70 | (13) | | 169.285 | NR | +9.225 |
| 16 | Noriko Miyaji (Neo) | JPN | 41.83 | (14) | | 1:25.80 | (18) | | 41.32 | (8) | SB | 1:26.58 | (20) | | 169.340 | SB | +9.280 |
| 17 | Katie Class (Neo) | USA | 42.62 | (21) | | 1:24.97 | (13) | SB | 41.71 | (14) | | 1:25.24 | (11) | | 169.435 | PB | +9.375 |
| 18 | Natalja Sjive (Neo) | URS | 42.37 | (19) | | 1:24.74 | (11) | SB | 41.94 | (16) | PB | 1:25.79 | (14) | | 169.575 | SB | +9.515 |
| 19 | Sylvie Daigle (Neo) | CAN | 41.69 | (13) | NR | 1:25.88 | (19) | SB | 42.13 | (19) | | 1:26.80 | (22) | | 170.160 | PB | +10.100 |
| 20 | Anne Girard (Neo) | CAN | 42.67 | (22) | | 1:27.64 | (25) | | 41.48 | (10) | NR | 1:27.75 | (24) | | 171.845 | PB | +11.785 |
| 21 | Annette Carlén (Senior) | SWE | 42.80 | (23) | | 1:25.94 | (20) | SB | 42.20 | (21) | PB | 1:28.04 | (25) | | 171.990 | PB | +11.930 |
| 22 | Virve Mäkelä (Senior) | FIN | 42.93 | (25) | | 1:26.95 | (21) | | 42.67 | (24) | | 1:26.09 | (16) | | 172.120 | SB | +12.060 |
| 23 | Manuela Haßmann (Senior) | FRG | 43.48 | (27) | | 1:27.87 | (27) | | 42.56 | (23) | SB | 1:26.74 | (21) | PB | 173.345 | PB | +13.285 |
| 24 | Ingrid Haringa (Neo) | NED | 42.91 | (24) | | 1:27.00 | (23) | SB | 42.36 | (22) | SB | 1:30.33 | (27) | | 173.935 | SB | +13.875 |
| 25 | Marie-France van Helden-Vives (Senior) | FRA | 43.53 | (28) | | 1:26.97 | (22) | | 43.70 | (27) | | 1:27.57 | (23) | | 174.500 | NR | +14.440 |
| 26 | Hanne Eriksson (A2) | NOR | 43.34 | (26) | | 1:29.27 | (28) | | 43.51 | (26) | | 1:29.83 | (26) | | 176.400 | PB | +16.340 |
| 27 | Svetlana Bykova (Neo) | URS | 42.46 | (20) | | 1:27.78 | (26) | | 41.68 | (13) | | 2:07.88 | (28) | | 191.970 | SB | +31.910 |
| 28 | Petra Moolhuizen (Neo) | NED | 44.16 | (29) | | 2:37.00 | (29) | | 43.06 | (25) | | 1:25.81 | (15) | | 208.625 | SB | +48.565 |
| Yeon-Joo.64 Lee (Neo) | KOR | 42.30 | (18) | | 1:27.02 | (24) | SB | 41.98 | (17) | SB | DQ | | | - | | - |