| Final | | time | | | 1. Ágota Sebő |  Hungary | 5:14.4 | 3 | | 2. Valéria Gyenge | Hungary | 5:16.3 | 5 | | 3. Eša Ligorio |  Yugoslavia | 5:18.7 | 4 | | 4. Hetty Balkenende |  Netherlands | 5:21.6 | 2 | | 5. Ginette Jany-Sendral |  France | 5:22.9 | 6 | | 6. Huguette Peters |  Belgium | 5:26.5 | 7 | | 7. Christel Werther |  West Germany | 5:27.3 | 1 | | 8. Tine van Brenk | Netherlands | 5:31.0 | 8 |
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| World Record: | | European Record: |
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Heats - Tuesday, 31st August | | Best 8 times advanced to Final>. |
| Heat 3 | | time | | Rk | | 1. Huguette Peters | Belgium | 5:26.2 | 7 | 6. | | 2. Tine van Brenk | Netherlands | 5:26.8 | 6 | 8. | | 3. Margaret Girvan |  Great Britain | 5:30.8 | 3 | 10. | | 4. Ragnhild Hveger |  Denmark | 5:36.9 | 4 | 12. | | 5. Růžena Maagová |  Czechoslovakia | 5:42.5 | 2 | 14. | | -. Monica Peters |  Sweden | DNS | 5 | |
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| Heat 2 | | time | | Rk | | 1. Eša Ligorio | Yugoslavia | 5:23.2 | 2 | 3. | | 2. Hetty Balkenende | Netherlands | 5:25.1 | 5 | 5. | | 3. Christel Werther | West Germany | 5:26.6 | 3 | 7. | | 4. Lillian Preece | Great Britain | 5:40.6 | 1 | 13. | | 5. Annemarie Dokupil |  Austria | 5:46.1 | 4 | 16. | | -. Maria Livia Nardi |  Italy | DNS | 6 | | | -. Jutta Langenau |  East Germany | DNS | 7 | |
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| Heat 1 | | time | | Rk | | 1. Valéria Gyenge | Hungary | 5:19.0 | 6 | 1. | | 2. Ágota Sebő | Hungary | 5:22.0 | 7 | 2. | | 3. Ginette Jany-Sendral | France | 5:23.7 | 3 | 4. | | 4. Mette Ove Petersen | Denmark | 5:28.1 | 2 | 9. | | 5. Ingrid Künzel | West Germany | 5:31.1 | 5 | 11. | | 6. Marjatta Railio |  Finland | 5:44.5 | 1 | 15. | | 7. Anita Hellström | Sweden | 5:51.4 | 4 | 17. |
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| Overall | | Heats | Final | | 1. Ágota Sebő | Hungary | 5:22.0 2 h1 | 5:14.4 1 F | | 2. Valéria Gyenge | Hungary | 5:19.0 1 h1 | 5:16.3 2 F | | 3. Eša Ligorio | Yugoslavia | 5:23.2 1 h2 | 5:18.7 3 F | | 4. Hetty Balkenende | Netherlands | 5:25.1 2 h2 | 5:21.6 4 F | | 5. Ginette Jany | France | 5:23.7 3 h1 | 5:22.9 5 F | | 6. Huguette Peters | Belgium | 5:26.2 1 h3 | 5:26.5 6 F | | 7. Christel Werther | West Germany | 5:26.6 3 h2 | 5:27.3 7 F | | 8. Tine van Brenk | Netherlands | 5:26.8 2 h3 | 5:31.0 8 F | | 9. Mette Ove Petersen | Denmark | 5:28.1 4 h1 | - | | 10.Margaret Girvan | Great Britain | 5:30.8 3 h3 | - | | 11.Ingrid Künzel | West Germany | 5:31.1 5 h1 | - | | 12.Ragnhild Hveger | Denmark | 5:36.9 4 h3 | - | | 13.Lillian Preece | Great Britain | 5:40.6 4 h2 | - | | 14.Růžena Maagová | Czechoslovakia | 5:42.5 5 h3 | - | | 15.Marjatta Railio | Finland | 5:44.5 6 h1 | - | | 16.Annemarie Dokupil | Austria | 5:46.1 5 h2 | - | | 17.Anita Hellström | Sweden | 5:51.4 7 h1 | - | | -. Maria Nardi | Italy | - DNS h2 | - | | -. Jutta Langenau | East Germany | - DNS h2 | - | | -. Monica Peters | Sweden | - DNS h3 | - |
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