| Rk | Final | time |   | gap | L | _______  |  | 1. |   East Germany | 3:52.48 |   |   | 4 |  |  | Kornelia Ender 57.51s, Angela Franke 57.90s, Andrea Eife 58.56s, Andrea Hübner 58.51s |  | 2. |   Netherlands | 3:57.08 |   | 4.60s | 5 |  |  | Anke Rijnders 1:00.24, Ada Pors 1:00.27, Veronica Stel 59.69s, Enith Brigitha 56.88s |  | 3. |   France | 3:57.61 |   | 5.13s | 7 |  |  | Claude Mandonnaud 1:00.30, Sylvie Le Noach 59.64s, Chantal Schertz 59.33s, Guylaine Berger 58.34s |  | 4. |   Sweden | 3:59.01 |   | 6.53s | 6 |  |  | Ida Hanson 1:00.67, Gunilla Lundberg 1:00.17, Ann Mårdbrink 1:00.03, Diana Olsson 58.14s |  | 5. |   West Germany | 3:59.24 |   | 6.76s | 3 |  |  | Jutta Weber 1:00.03, Heidi Reineck 59.66s, Barbara Schwarzfeldt 59.58s, Angela Steinbach 59.97s |  | 6. |   Soviet Union | 4:01.09 |   | 8.61s | 2 |  |  | Lyubov Semkina 1:00.40, Marina Klyuchnikova 1:00.51, Tamara Shelofastova 1:00.74, Lyubov Kobzova 59.44s |  | 7. |   Hungary | 4:02.75 |   | 10.27s | 8 |  |  | Krisztina Bedekovics 1:01.93, Edit Kovács 1:00.88, Ágnes Kaczander-Kiss 1:00.33, Judit Pelle 59.61s |  | 8. |   Italy | 4:06.76 |   | 14.28s | 1 |  |  | Laura Podestà 1:01.71, Laura Gorgerino 1:01.16, Patrizia Lanfredini 1:01.06, Laura Bortolotti 1:02.83 |   
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  |  | Best 8 times advanced to Final.  |   
| Rk | Heat 2 | time |   | gap | L | Rk | _______  |  | 1. |   East Germany | 3:55.63 |   |   | - | 1. |  |  | Andrea Eife 58.22s, Andrea Hübner 59.34s, Hannelore Anke 58.79s, Ulrike Richter 59.28s |  | 2. |   Netherlands | 3:58.56 |   | 2.93s | - | 2. |  |  | Anke Rijnders 1:00.82, Ada Pors 1:00.17, Veronica Stel 59.86s, Enith Brigitha 57.71s |  | 3. |   Sweden | 4:02.51 |   | 6.88s | - | 4. |  |  | Gunilla Lundberg 1:00.27, Ann Mårdbrink 1:00.20, Anita Zarnowiecki 1:01.39, Suzann Martinsson 1:00.65 |  | 4. |   Hungary | 4:04.35 |   | 8.72s | - | 8. |  |  | Krisztina Bedekovics 1:02.40, Edit Kovács 1:01.00, Ágnes Kaczander-Kiss 1:00.50, Judit Pelle 1:00.45 |  | 5. |   Czechoslovakia | 4:07.42 |   | 11.79s | - | 9. |  |  | Jaroslava Pavlíčková 1:00.71, Olga Chlupová 1:01.22, Lenka Churáčková 1:03.22, Jarmila Hemerková 1:02.27 |  | 6. |   Norway | 4:07.65 |   | 12.02s | - | 10. |  |  | Grethe Mathiesen 1:02.03, Bente Eriksen 1:03.06, Torild Bergesen 1:02.32, Lene Jenssen 1:00.24 |   
     | Rk | Heat 1 | time |   | gap | L | Rk | _______  |  | 1. |   West Germany | 4:01.88 |   | 6.25s | - | 3. |  |  | Heidi Reineck 1:00.36, Barbara Schwarzfeldt 1:00.32, Angela Steinbach 1:00.72, Gudrun Beckmann 1:00.48 |  | 2. |   Soviet Union | 4:03.06 |   | 7.43s | - | 5. |  |  | Lyubov Semkina 59.89s, Marina Klyuchnikova 1:00.91, Tamara Shelofastova 1:01.06, Lyubov Kobzova 1:01.20 |  | 3. |   France | 4:03.76 |   | 8.13s | - | 6. |  |  | Claude Mandonnaud 1:01.08, Sylvie Le Noach 1:00.01, Chantal Schertz 1:00.46, Claudine Vibet 1:02.21 |  | 4. |   Italy | 4:04.07 |   | 8.44s | - | 7. |  |  | Laura Podestà 1:01.41, Laura Gorgerino 1:01.68, Patrizia Lanfredini 1:00.80, Laura Bortolotti 1:00.18 |  | 5. |   Great Britain | 4:09.75 |   | 12.12s | - | 11. |  |  | Elaine Wright 1:02.62, Jacqueline Simpson 1:03.65, Diane Walker 1:01.89, Susan Edmondson 1:01.59 |  | 6. |   Belgium | 4:10.93 |   | 13.30s | - | 12. |  |  | Chantal Grimard 1:00.89, K. Van Halewijck 1:03.54, Françoise Chauvin 1:04.40, Katrien Van Parijs 1:02.10 |   
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