| Final A | Team | time | Rk. |  | 1. Lin Li |  CHN | 2:11.65 | 4.  |  | 2. Summer Sanders |  USA | 2:11.91 | 1.  |  | 3. Daniela Hunger |  GER | 2:13.92 | 3.  |  | 4. Yelena Dendeberova |  URS | 2:15.47 | 7.  |  | 5. Elli Overton |  AUS | 2:15.76 | 2.  |  | 6. Marianne Limpert |  CAN | 2:17.09 | 5.  |  | 7. Nancy Sweetnam |  CAN | 2:17.13 | 8.  |  | 8. Ewa Synowska |  POL | 2:18.85 | 6.  |   
| Final B | Team | time | Rk. |  | 9. Hideko Hiranaka |  JPN | 2:18.47 | 15.  |  | 10.Silvia Parera |  ESP | 2:18.53 | 13.  |  | 11.Alicja Pęczak |  POL | 2:18.55 | 12.  |  | 12.Eri Kimura |  JPN | 2:18.91 | 16.  |  | 13.Noëmi Ildiko Lung |  ROU | 2:18.97 | 14.  |  | 14.Bonnet Céline |  FRA | 2:19.14 | 18.  |  | 15.Jacqui McKenzie |  AUS | 2:19.41 | 11.  |  | 16.Jana Haas |  GER | 2:20.94 | 10.  |   
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| Heat 6 | Team | time | Rk. |  | 1. Summer Sanders |  USA | 2:14.68 | 1. |  | 2. Elli Overton |  AUS | 2:15.13 | 2. |  | 3. Daniela Hunger |  GER | 2:15.16 | 3. |  | 4. Nancy Sweetnam |  CAN | 2:17.26 | 8. |  | 5. Noëmi Ildiko Lung |  ROU | 2:18.12 | 14. |  | 6. Bonnet Céline |  FRA | 2:18.95 | 18. |  | 7. Mildred Muis |  NED | 2:19.10 | 19. |  | 8. Brigitte Becue |  BEL | 2:21.98 | 25. |   
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| Heat 5 | Team | time | Rk. |  | 1. Lin Li |  CHN | 2:15.68 | 4. |  | 2. Marianne Limpert |  CAN | 2:16.84 | 5. |  | 3. Yelena Dendeberova |  URS | 2:17.13 | 7. |  | 4. Louise Karlsson |  SWE | 2:18.75 | 17. |  | 5. Lu Bin |  CHN | 2:20.12 | 23. |  | 6. Lenka Maňhalová |  TCH | 2:20.52 | 24. |  | 7. Helen Slatter |  GBR | 2:22.04 | 26. |   
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| Heat 4 | Team | time | Rk. |  | 1. Nicole Haislett |  USA | 2:17.40 | 9. |  | 2. Jana Haas |  GER | 2:17.74 | 10. |  | 3. Jacqui McKenzie |  AUS | 2:17.82 | 11. |  | 4. Alicja Pęczak |  POL | 2:17.90 | 12. |  | 5. Hideko Hiranaka |  JPN | 2:18.13 | 15. |  | 6. Eri Kimura |  JPN | 2:18.63 | 16. |  | 7. Lara Bianconi |  ITA | 2:19.40 | 20. |  | 8. Sharron Davies |  GBR | 2:19.41 | 21. |   
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| Heat 3 | Team | time | Rk. |  | 1. Ewa Synowska |  POL | 2:16.88 | 6. |  | 2. Silvia Parera |  ESP | 2:17.97 | 13. |  | 3. Hana Černá |  TCH | 2:19.93 | 22. |  | 4. Martina Nemec |  AUT | 2:22.63 | 27. |  | 5. Lourdes Becerra |  ESP | 2:23.51 | 31. |  | 6. Annette Poulsen |  DEN | 2:25.67 | 35. |  | 7. Keren Regal |  ISR | 2:27.85 | 37. |   
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| Heat 2 | Team | time | Rk. |  | 1. Jill Brukman |  RSA | 2:23.07 | 28. |  | 2. Nathalie Wunderlich |  SUI | 2:23.18 | 29. |  | 3. Minpraphal Praphalsai |  THA | 2:23.24 | 30. |  | 4. Michelle Smith |  IRE | 2:23.83 | 32. |  | 5. Joscelin Yeo |  SIN | 2:25.32 | 33. |  | 6. Claudia Fortin |  HON | 2:25.66 | 34. |  | 7. May Ooi |  SIN | 2:27.62 | 36. |   
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| Heat 1 | Team | time | Rk. |  | 1. Jenny Smatt |  BER | 2:29.29 | 38. |  | 2. Ana Fortin |  HON | 2:30.07 | 39. |  | 3. Sharon Pickering |  FIJ | 2:30.11 | 40. |  | 4. Nguyễn Kiều Oanh |  VIE | 2:35.71 | 41. |  | 5. Tammie Kaae |  GUM | 2:36.31 | 42. |  | 6. Elke Talma |  SEY | 2:53.41 | 43. |   
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