| Final A | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Krisztina Egerszegi |  HUN | 4:36.54 | 1. | | 2. Lin Li |  CHN | 4:36.73 | 3. | | 3. Summer Sanders |  USA | 4:37.58 | 2. | | 4. Hayley Lewis |  AUS | 4:43.75 | 6. | | 5. Hideko Hiranaka |  JPN | 4:46.24 | 8. | | 6. Daniela Hunger |  GER | 4:47.57 | 7. | | 7. Eri Kimura | JPN | 4:47.78 | 5. | | 8. Ewa Synowska |  POL | 4:53.32 | 4. |
| Final B | Team | time | Rk. | | 9. Jana Haas | GER | 4:47.74 | 11. | | 10.Erika Hansen | USA | 4:48.37 | 10. | | 11.Joanne Malar |  CAN | 4:48.52 | 16. | | 12.Silvia Parera |  ESP | 4:48.77 | 12. | | 13.Nancy Sweetnam | CAN | 4:50.17 | 15. | | 14.Hana Černá |  TCH | 4:50.30 | 14. | | 15.Beatrice Coadă-Căşlaru |  ROU | 4:50.60 | 9. | | 16.Jacqui McKenzie | AUS | 4:52.04 | 13. |
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| Heat 4 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Krisztina Egerszegi | HUN | 4:43.83 | 1. | | 2. Erika Hansen | USA | 4:48.13 | 10. | | 3. Jana Haas | GER | 4:49.93 | 11. | | 4. Silvia Parera | ESP | 4:50.16 | 12. | | 5. Jacqui McKenzie | AUS | 4:51.80 | 13. | | 6. Nancy Sweetnam | CAN | 4:52.41 | 15. | | 7. Yan Ming | CHN | 4:54.93 | 20. | | 8. Marta Włodkowska | POL | 4:58.30 | 24. |
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| Heat 3 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Lin Li | CHN | 4:45.74 | 3. | | 2. Eri Kimura | JPN | 4:46.17 | 5. | | 3. Daniela Hunger | GER | 4:47.39 | 7. | | 4. Hideko Hiranaka | JPN | 4:47.92 | 8. | | 5. Joanne Malar | CAN | 4:52.85 | 16. | | 6. Noëmi Ildiko Lung | ROU | 4:53.91 | 18. | | 7. Elisenda Pérez | ESP | 4:56.78 | 22. | | 8. Helen Slatter |  GBR | 4:58.24 | 23. |
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| Heat 2 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Summer Sanders | USA | 4:43.95 | 2. | | 2. Ewa Synowska | POL | 4:46.00 | 4. | | 3. Hayley Lewis | AUS | 4:46.57 | 6. | | 4. Beatrice Coadă-Căşlaru | ROU | 4:48.12 | 9. | | 5. Hana Černá | TCH | 4:52.21 | 14. | | 6. Bonnet Céline |  FRA | 4:54.70 | 19. | | 7. Sharron Davies | GBR | 4:56.44 | 21. | | -. Britta Vestergaard |  DEN | | |
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| Heat 1 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Philippa Langrell |  NZL | 4:53.62 | 17. | | 2. Jeanine Steenkamp |  RSA | 4:58.48 | 25. | | 3. Michelle Smith |  IRL | 4:58.94 | 26. | | 4. Jill Brukman | RSA | 5:03.34 | 27. | | 5. Minpraphal Praphalsai |  THA | 5:04.95 | 28. | | 6. Keren Regal |  ISR | 5:07.97 | 29. | | 7. May Ooi |  SIN | 5:08.19 | 30. | | 8. Claudia Fortin |  HON | 5:09.84 | 31. |
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