| Final | time | | gap | L | | 1. |  GDR | 2:13.10 | | | 4 | | 2. Ulrike Richter | GDR | 2:16.67 | | +3.57s | 3 | | 3. Carmen Bunaciu |  ROU | 2:17.98 | | +4.88s | 7 | | 4. Nadija Stavko |  URS | 2:18.84 | | +5.74s | 2 | | 5. Diane Edelijn |  NED | 2:19.30 | | +6.20s | 8 | | 6. Kaire Indriksson | URS | 2:21.06 | | +7.96s | 5 | | 7. Gabriella Verraszto |  HUN | 2:21.49 | | +9.39s | 1 | | 8. Heike John |  FRG | 2:22.93 | | +9.83s | 6 |
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| Heat 1 | time | Rk. | | 1. Heike John | FRG | 2:20.91 | 4. | | 2. Carmen Bunaciu | ROU | 2:21.40 | 6. | | 3. Gabriella Verraszto | HUN | 2:21.40 | 7. | | 4. Tina Gustafsson |  SWE | 2:22.98 | 11. | | 5. Sylvie Testuz |  FRA | 2:26.39 | 16. | | 6. Anette Lundstroem | SWE | 2:29.27 | 18. |
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| Heat 2 | time | Rk. | | 1. Ulrike Richter | GDR | 2:20.01 | 3. | | 2. Nadija Stavko | URS | 2:21.17 | 5. | | 3. Davies |  GBR | 2:21.96 | 9. | | 4. Monika Bosga | NED | 2:22.37 | 10. | | 5. Joy Beasley | GBR | 2:25.11 | 14. | | 6. Bjorg Strand |  NOR | 2:29.56 | 19. | | 7. Pierrette Michel |  BEL | 2:31.44 | 20. |
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| Heat 3 | time | Rk. | | 1. Birgit Treiber | GDR | 2:17.55 | 1. | | 2. Kaire Indriksson | URS | 2:19.16 | 2. | | 3. Diane Edelijn | NED | 2:21.47 | 8. | | 4, Zsuzsa Czovek | HUN | 2:23.57 | 12. | | 5. Tiziana Bertolani |  ITA | 2:24.05 | 13. | | 6. Renata Sternberg | FRG | 2:25.45 | 15. | | 7. Joanna Pizon |  POL | 2:28.32 | 17. |
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