| 1 | Sheila Young (Senior) | USA | 44.34 | (6) | | 1:29.94 | (1) | | 43.92 | (1) | | 1:29.63 | (1) | TR | 178.045 | TR | - |
| 2 | Heike Lange (A2) | GDR | 45.17 | (12) | | 1:31.05 | (5) | | 44.10 | (2) | | 1:32.07 | (3) | | 180.830 | TRJ | +2.785 |
| 3 | Cathy Priestner (A2) | CAN | 43.44 | (1) | TR, SB | 1:30.93 | (4) | TRJ | 45.56 | (9) | | 1:33.15 | (10) | | 181.040 | SB | +2.995 |
| 4 | Vera Krasnova (Senior) | URS | 43.48 | (2) | | 1:32.58 | (10) | | 44.93 | (5) | | 1:32.76 | (5) | | 181.080 | | +3.035 |
| 5 | Ljubov Sadtsjikova (Neo) | URS | 43.64 | (4) | | 1:31.47 | (8) | | 45.52 | (8) | | 1:34.62 | (11) | | 182.205 | SB | +4.160 |
| 6 | Makiko Nagaya (A2) | JPN | 44.68 | (10) | | 1:32.70 | (11) | | 45.06 | (6) | | 1:32.31 | (4) | | 182.245 | | +4.200 |
| 7 | Tatjana Averina (Senior) | URS | 44.65 | (9) | | 1:30.73 | (3) | | 45.71 | (11) | | 1:33.14 | (9) | | 182.295 | | +4.250 |
| 8 | Stanislawa Wachala-Pietruszczak (Neo) | POL | 44.09 | (5) | | 1:33.07 | (16) | | 45.58 | (10) | | 1:36.23 | (18) | | 184.320 | | +6.275 |
| 9 | Ann-Sofie Järnström (Senior) | SWE | 44.39 | (7) | | 1:32.96 | (14) | | 46.13 | (14) | | 1:34.96 | (12) | | 184.480 | | +6.435 |
| 10 | Sophie Piest-Westenbroek (Senior) | NED | 45.56 | (16) | | 1:32.74 | (13) | | 46.54 | (16) | | 1:32.90 | (7) | | 184.920 | | +6.875 |
| 11 | Haitske Pijlman (Neo) | NED | 44.56 | (8) | | 1:32.34 | (9) | | 46.65 | (17) | | 1:35.60 | (16) | | 185.180 | | +7.135 |
| 12 | Monika Holzner-Pflug (Neo) | FRG | 43.59 | (3) | | 1:30.27 | (2) | | 44.79 | (4) | | 1:44.15 | (30) | | 185.590 | | +7.545 |
| 13 | Annie Borckink (Neo) | NED | 45.77 | (18) | | 1:33.04 | (15) | | 46.96 | (18) | | 1:32.99 | (8) | | 185.745 | SB | +7.700 |
| 14 | Peggy Crowe (A2) | USA | 45.68 | (17) | | 1:33.93 | (18) | | 45.93 | (13) | | 1:36.13 | (17) | | 186.640 | | +8.595 |
| 15 | Sigrid Sundby-Dybedahl (M30) | NOR | 45.37 | (15) | | 1:34.63 | (23) | | 47.75 | (20) | | 1:34.96 | (12) | | 187.915 | SB | +9.870 |
| 16 | Paula-Irmeli Halonen (Senior) | FIN | 44.81 | (11) | | 1:32.72 | (12) | | 45.29 | (7) | | 1:43.29 | (29) | | 188.105 | | +10.060 |
| 17 | Denise Chlapaty (A2) | USA | 45.30 | (13) | | 1:34.21 | (20) | | 47.81 | (21) | | 1:36.27 | (19) | | 188.350 | | +10.305 |
| 18 | Yuko Ota (A1) | JPN | 45.31 | (14) | | 1:33.50 | (17) | | 48.13 | (22) | | 1:36.41 | (20) | | 188.395 | SB | +10.350 |
| 19 | Lisbeth Korsmo-Berg (Senior) | NOR | 46.03 | (21) | | 1:33.99 | (19) | | 48.18 | (23) | | 1:36.47 | (21) | | 189.440 | | +11.395 |
| 20 | Keiko Hasegawa (A2) | JPN | 45.85 | (19) | | 1:35.98 | (24) | | 47.36 | (19) | | 1:36.77 | (23) | | 189.585 | | +11.540 |
| 21 | Gayle Gordon (A2) | CAN | 46.16 | (22) | | 1:34.33 | (21) | | 49.28 | (29) | | 1:35.49 | (15) | | 190.350 | SB | +12.305 |
| 22 | Tuula Vilkas (Senior) | FIN | 47.43 | (28) | | 1:36.13 | (26) | | 48.86 | (26) | | 1:35.04 | (14) | | 191.875 | | +13.830 |
| 23 | Lena Tillqvist (Neo) | SWE | 45.92 | (20) | SB | 1:37.34 | (28) | | 48.22 | (24) | | 1:38.16 | (27) | | 191.890 | SB | +13.845 |
| 24 | Chieko Ito (Neo) | JPN | 46.75 | (23) | | 1:36.12 | (25) | | 48.92 | (27) | | 1:37.32 | (25) | | 192.390 | SB | +14.345 |
| 25 | Huimin Fu (Senior) | CHN | 47.19 | (24) | | 1:37.13 | (27) | | 48.50 | (25) | | 1:37.51 | (26) | | 193.010 | NR | +14.965 |
| 26 | Erwina Rys (Neo) | POL | 54.92 | (29) | | 1:31.28 | (6) | | 46.50 | (15) | | 1:32.84 | (6) | | 193.480 | | +15.435 |
| 27 | Elisabeth Appleby (B1) | CAN | 47.29 | (25) | | 1:38.31 | (29) | | 49.84 | (31) | | 1:37.23 | (24) | | 194.900 | | +16.855 |
| 28 | Anne Gjersem (A1) | NOR | 47.30 | (26) | | 1:40.91 | (30) | | 49.33 | (30) | | 1:41.60 | (28) | | 197.885 | SB | +19.840 |
| 29 | Anne Koszul (Neo) | FRA | 47.35 | (27) | | 1:47.23 | (31) | | 49.12 | (28) | | 1:36.62 | (22) | | 198.395 | NR | +20.350 |
| Leah Poulos (Neo) | USA | DNF | | | 1:34.43 | (22) | | 45.77 | (12) | | - | | | - | | - |
| Ljudmila Titova (Senior) | URS | DQ | | | 1:31.35 | (7) | | 44.49 | (3) | | 1:30.94 | (2) | | - | | - |