| Final | time | age |  | 1. Madeline Manning |  USA | 2:00.9 |  | 2. Ileana Silai |  ROM | 2:02.5 |  | 3. Maria Gommers |  NED | 2:02.6 |  | 4. Sheila Taylor |  GBR | 2:03.8 |  | 5. Doris Brown |  USA | 2:03.9 |  | 6. Patricia Lowe |  GBR | 2:04.2 |  | 7. Abigail Hoffman |  CAN | 2:06.8 |  | 8. Maryvonne Dupureur |  FRA | 2:08.2 |   
| Semi 1 | time |  | 1. Madeline Manning |  USA | 2:05.8 |  | 2. Ilona Silai |  ROM | 2:05.9 |  | 3. Patricia Lowe |  GBR | 2:06.6 |  | 4. Abigail Hoffman |  CAN | 2:07.0 |  | 5. Karin Burneleit |  GDR | 2:08.4 |  | 6. Anna Zimina |  URS | 2:08.5 |  | 7. Ilja Keizer |  NED | 2:14.8 |  | -. Vera Nikolic |  YUG |   |   
 | 
 | 
| Semi 2 | time |  | 1. Maria Gommers |  NED | 2:05.1 |  | 2. Doris Brown |  USA | 2:05.2 |  | 3. Sheila Taylor |  GBR | 2:05.2 |  | 4. Maryvonne Dupureur |  FRA | 2:05.5 |  | 5. Laine Erik |  URS | 2:06.0 |  | 6. Sylvia Potts |  NZL | 2:07.2 |  | 7. Paola Pigni |  ITA | 2:07.8 |  | 8. Jaroslava Jehlickova |  CHE | 2:13.5 |   
 |  
| Heat 1 | time |  | 1. Vera Nikolic |  YUG | 2:05.7 |  | 2. Laine Erik |  URS | 2:06.5 |  | 3. Paola Pigni |  ITA | 2:06.7 |  | 4. Karin Burneleit |  GDR | 2:07.1 |  | 5. Francie Kraker |  USA | 2:07.3 |  | 6. Elizabeth Chesire |  KEN | 2:10.9 |   
 | 
 | 
| Heat 2 | time |  | 1. Maria Gommers |  NED | 2:04.0 |  | 2. Ilona Silai |  ROM | 2:04.1 |  | 3. Sheila Taylor |  GBR | 2:04.1 |  | 4. Anna Zimina |  URS | 2:04.4 |  | 5. Barbara Wieck |  GDR | 2:08.5 |  | 6. Hana Shezifi |  ISR | 2:09.2 |   
 | 
 
| Heat 3 | time |  | 1. Marie Dupureur |  FRA | 2:09.5 |  | 2. Doris Brown |  USA | 2:09.5 |  | 3. Patricia Lowe |  GBR | 2:09.5 |  | 4. Sylvia Potts |  NZL | 2:09.6 |  | 5. Eeva Haimi |  FIN | 2:09.6 |  | 6. Mathilda Van Der Made |  NED | 2:10.5 |   
 | 
 | 
| Heat 4 | time |  | 1. Madeline Manning |  USA | 2:08.7 |  | 2. Abigail Hoffman |  CAN | 2:08.9 |  | 3. Jaroslava Jehlickova |  CHE | 2:08.9 |  | 4. llja Keizer |  NED | 2:08.9 |  | 5. Annelise Olesen |  DEN | 2:09.0 |  | 6. Joan Page |  GBR | 2:10.2 |   
 |  
 |