| Final A | Team | time | Rk. |  | 1. Krisztina Egerszegi |  HUN | 2:07.06 | 1.  |  | 2. Dagmar Hase |  GER | 2:09.46 | 3.  |  | 3. Nicole Livingstone-Stevenson |  AUS | 2:10.20 | 5.  |  | 4. Lea Loveless |  USA | 2:11.54 | 2.  |  | 5. Anna Simcic |  NZL | 2:11.99 | 6.  |  | 6. Tünde Szabó |  HUN | 2:12.94 | 8.  |  | 7. Silvia Poll |  CRC | 2:12.97 | 4.  |  | 8. Leigh Habler |  AUS | 2:13.68 | 7.  |   
| Final B | Team | time | Rk. |  | 9. Marion Zoller |  GER | 2:13.77 | 12.  |  | 10.Joanne Deakins |  GBR | 2:13.91 | 10.  |  | 11.Junko Torikai |  JPN | 2:15.20 | 17.  |  | 12.Lin Li |  CHN | 2:15.38 | 15.  |  | 13.Lorenza Vigarani |  ITA | 2:16.21 | 13.  |  | 14.Nina Zhivanevskaya |  URS | 2:17.61 | 10.  |  | 15.Noriko Inada |  JPN | 2:17.68 | 14.  |  | 16.Nathalie Wunderlich |  SUI | 2:19.70 | 16.  |   
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| Heat 6 | Team | time | Rk. |  | 1. Krisztina Egerszegi |  HUN | 2:07.34 | 1. |  | 2. Dagmar Hase |  GER | 2:11.52 | 3. |  | 3. Anna Simcic |  NZL | 2:12.99 | 6. |  | 4. Leigh Habler |  AUS | 2:13.44 | 7. |  | 5. Nina Zhivanevskaya |  URS | 2:14.34 | 10. |  | 6. Lin Li |  CHN | 2:15.87 | 15. |  | 7. FRAsca Salvalajo |  ITA | 2:16.89 | 20. |  | 8. Lu Bin |  CHN | 2:18.51 | 31. |   
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| Heat 5 | Team | time | Rk. |  | 1. Nicole Livingstone-Stevenson |  AUS | 2:12.32 | 5. |  | 2. Janie Wagstaff |  USA | 2:13.91 | 9. |  | 3. Joanne Deakins |  GBR | 2:14.34 | 10. |  | 4. Lorenza Vigarani |  ITA | 2:15.49 | 13. |  | 5. Noriko Inada |  JPN | 2:15.74 | 14. |  | 6. Junko Torikai |  JPN | 2:16.13 | 17. |  | 7. Nikki Dryden |  CAN | 2:17.54 | 23. |  | 8. Beth Hazel |  CAN | 2:17.70 | 25. |   
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| Heat 4 | Team | time | Rk. |  | 1. Lea Loveless |  USA | 2:11.32 | 2. |  | 2. Silvia Poll |  CRC | 2:11.66 | 4. |  | 3. Tünde Szabó |  HUN | 2:13.81 | 8. |  | 4. Marion Zoller |  GER | 2:14.53 | 12. |  | 5. Nuria Castelló |  ESP | 2:16.24 | 18. |  | 6. Katherine Read |  GBR | 2:17.15 | 21. |  | 7. Ellen Elzerman |  NED | 2:17.34 | 22. |  | 8. Nataliya Shibayeva |  URS | 2:20.54 | 33. |   
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| Heat 3 | Team | time | Rk. |  | 1. Nathalie Wunderlich |  SUI | 2:16.07 | 16. |  | 2. Ana Barros |  POR | 2:17.59 | 24. |  | 3. Małgorzata Galwas |  POL | 2:17.73 | 26. |  | 4. Rita Jean Garay |  PUR | 2:18.10 | 27. |  | 5. Claudia Stănescu |  ROU | 2:18.39 | 29. |  | 6. Helena Straková |  TCH | 2:18.44 | 30. |  | 7. Cristina Rey |  ESP | 2:20.75 | 34. |   
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| Heat 2 | Team | time | Rk. |  | 1. Gillian Thomson |  PHI | 2:16.44 | 19. |  | 2. Lee Chang-Ha |  KOR | 2:18.33 | 28. |  | 3. Jill Brukman |  RSA | 2:18.56 | 32. |  | 4. Michelle Smith |  IRE | 2:21.37 | 35. |  | 5. Marta Włodkowska |  POL | 2:22.86 | 38. |  | 6. Tanja Godina |  SLO | 2:25.31 | 41. |   
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| Heat 1 | Team | time | Rk. |  | 1. Mariya Kocheva |  BUL | 2:21.79 | 36. |  | 2. Darija Alauf |  YUG | 2:22.07 | 37. |  | 3. Storme Moodie |  ZIM | 2:23.26 | 39. |  | 4. Sarah Murphy |  ZIM | 2:24.58 | 40. |  | 5. Minpraphal Praphalsai |  THA | 2:26.32 | 42. |  | 6. Ana Fortin |  HON | 2:27.33 | 43. |   
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