| Final | | time | | L | | 1. Marita Koch |  East Germany | 22.82s | | 3 | | 2. Kirsten Emmelmann | East Germany | 23.06s | | 4 | | 3. Els Vader |  Netherlands | 23.64s | | 1 | | 4. Joan Baptiste |  Great Britain | 23.67s | | 2 | | 5. Ann-Louise Skoglund |  Sweden | 24.00s | | 5 |
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| | First 3 from each Semi advanced to Final. |
| Semi 1 | | time | | | 2. Kirsten Emmelmann | East Germany | 23.38s | Q | | 3. Joan Baptiste | Great Britain | 23.48s | Q | | 5. Ann-Louise Skoglund | Sweden | 24.09s | q | | 6. Daniela Ferrian |  Italy | 24.15s | | | 10.Cristina Pérez |  Spain | 24.52s | |
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| Semi 2 | | time | | | 1. Marita Koch | East Germany | 23.09s | Q | | 4. Els Vader | Netherlands | 23.73s | Q | | 7. Mercedes Cano | Spain | 24.31s | | | 8. Sølvi Olsen |  Norway | 24.34s | | | 9. Maria Fernström | Sweden | 24.41s | |
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| Heat 1 | | time | | | 3. Kirsten Emmelmann | East Germany | 23.95s | Q | | 5. Sølvi Olsen | Norway | 24.38s | Q | | 6. Ann-Louise Skoglund | Sweden | 24.48s | q | | 10.Cristina Pérez | Spain | 24.95s | q | | -. Saša Kranjc |  Yugoslavia | DNF | |
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| Heat 2 | | time | | | 1. Marita Koch | East Germany | 23.61s | Q | | 2. Joan Baptiste | Great Britain | 23.88s | Q | | 9. Mercedes Cano | Spain | 24.89s | q | | 11.Susanna Bergman | Sweden | 25.08s | |
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| Heat 3 | | time | | | 4. Els Vader | Netherlands | 23.99s | Q | | 7. Daniela Ferrian | Italy | 24.51s | Q | | 8. Maria Fernström | Sweden | 24.62s | q | | 12.Josiane Reinesch |  Luxembourg | 25.17s | |
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