| Final 18:51 |   | time | gap | L | Y | pts |  | 1. Janet Evans |   United States | 8:24.05 | CR | 4 | 19 | 924 |  | 2. Grit Muller |   Germany | 8:30.20 | +6.15s | 6 | 18 | 891 |  | 3. Jana Henke |   Germany | 8:30.31 | +6.26s | 3 | 17 | 890 |  | 4. Irene Dalby |   Norway | 8:32.55 | +8.50s | 7 | 19 | 879 |  | 5. Donna Procter |   Australia | 8:36.38 | +12.33s | 2 | 21 | 859 |  | 6. Manuela Melchiorri |   Italy | 8:38.16 | +14.11s | 1 | 20 | 850 |  | 7. Julie McDonald |   Australia | 8:40.72 | +16.67s | 5 | 20 | 838 |  | 8. Philippa Langrell |   New Zealand | 8:42.82 | +18.77s | 8 | 18 | 828 |   
| World Record:  |  | World Championship Record:  |   
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 Heats - Friday, 11th January 09:37 |  | Best 8 times advanced to Final.  |   
| Heat 3 |   | time | gap | L | Y | pts | Rk |  | 1. Janet Evans |   United States | 8:33.19 |   | 4 | 19 | - | 1. |  | 2. Irene Dalby |   Norway | 8:40.54 | +7.35s | 5 | 19 | - | 6. |  | 3. Sandra Cam |   Belgium | 8:45.14 | +11.95s | 2 | 18 | - | 9. |  | 4. Francesca Ferrari |   Italy | 8:45.46 | +12.27s | 6 | _ | - | 11. |  | 5. Julie Kole |   United States | 8:53.12 | +19.93s | 3 | _ | - | 12. |  | 6. Malin Nilsson |   Sweden | 9:10.37 | +37.18s | 7 | 17 | - | 18. |  | -. Maya Nasution |   Indonesia | DNS |   | 1 | _ | - | -. |   
| Heat 2 |   | time | gap | L | Y | pts | Rk |  | 1. Julie McDonald |   Australia | 8:33.46 | +0.27s | 4 | 20 | - | 2. |  | 2. Donna Procter |   Australia | 8:37.55 | +4.36s | 6 | 21 | - | 5. |  | 3. Philippa Langrell |   New Zealand | 8:44.67 | +11.48s | 3 | 18 | - | 8. |  | 4. Beatrice Coada |   Romania | 8:45.16 | +11.97s | 2 | 15 | - | 10. |  | 5. Isabelle Arnould |   Belgium | 8:57.37 | +24.18s | 5 | 20 | - | 14. |  | 6. Laura Sanchez |   Mexico | 9:09.96 | +36.77s | 7 | 18 | - | 16. |   
| Heat 1 1 |   | time | gap | L | Y | pts | Rk |  | 1. Jana Henke |   Germany | 8:36.91 | +3.72s | 5 | 17 | - | 3. |  | 2. Grit Muller |   Germany | 8:36.94 | +3.75s | 4 | 18 | - | 4. |  | 3. Manuela Melchiorri |   Italy | 8:43.32 | +10.13s | 3 | 20 | - | 7. |  | 4. Karen Mellor |   Great Britain | 8:57.36 | +24.17s | 6 | 21 | - | 13. |  | 5. Linda Robinson |   New Zealand | 9:05.86 | +32.67s | 2 | _ | - | 15. |  | 6. Nesim Ozgun |   Turkey | 9:10.20 | +37.01s | 7 | _ | - | 17. |   
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