| Final | | time | | gap | L | | 1. Ulrike Tauber |  East Germany | 2:15.95 | WR | | 4 | | 2. Sabine Kahle | East Germany | 2:17.79 | | +1,84s | 5 | | 3. Olga Klevakina |  Soviet Union | 2:19.35 | | +3.40s | 3 | | 4. Sharron Davies |  Great Britain | 2:21.57 | | +5.62s | 6 | | 5. Ann-Sofie Roos |  Sweden | 2:22.64 | | +6.69s | 1 | | 6. Monica Parsmark | Sweden | 2:23.99 | | +8.04s | 2 | | 7. Ineke Ran |  Netherlands | 2:25.44 | | +9.49s | 7 | | 8. Mihaela Costea |  Romania | 2:25.66 | | +9.71s | 8 |
|
|
|
Heats - Saturday, 20th August |
| Heat 1 | time | Rk. | | 1. Sharron Davies | GBR | 2:25.31 | 4. | | 2. Ann-Sofie Roos | SWE | 2:26.57 | 7. | | 3. Wijda Mazereeuw | NED | 2:28.01 | 11. | | 4. Tamara Shelofastova | URS | 2:31.27 | 18. | | 5. Beate Jasch |  FRG | 2:31.75 | 20. | | 6. Miriam Hopkins |  IRL | 2:36.89 | 22. |
|
|
| Heat 2 | time | Rk. | | 1. Olga Klevakina | URS | 2:23.09 | 3. | | 2. Monica Parsmark | SWE | 2:25.76 | 5. | | 3. MArta Karlsen |  NOR | 2:27.44 | 9. | | 4. Barbara Selter | FRG | 2:27.85 | 10. | | 5. Caroline Rampazzo |  ITA | 2:29.87 | 14. | | 6. Marta Slomina |  POL | 2:34.70 | 21. |
|
| Heat 3 | time | Rk. | | 1. Sabine Kahle | GDR | 2:20.12 | 2. | | 2. Agnes Fodor | ROU | 2:30.09 | 15. | | 3. Yordanka Penina |  BUL | 2:30.65 | 16. | | 4. Nelly Saque |  FRA | 2:30.76 | 17. |
|
|
| Heat 4 | time | Rk. | | 1. Ulrike Tauber | GDR | 2:20.05 | 1. | | 2. Ineke Ran | NED | 2:26.36 | 6. | | 3. Mihaela Costea | ROU | 2:26.66 | 8. | | 4. Pizon | POL | 2:28.33 | 12. | | 5. Sonya Dangalakova | BUL | 2:29.12 | 13. | | 6. Magda Camps |  ESP | 2:31.51 | 19. |
|
| 