| Final 15:15 | time | | 1. Mary Decker-Slaney |  USA | 4:00.90 | | 2. Zamira Zaitseva |  URS | 4:01.19 | | 3. Yekaterina Podkopayeva | URS | 4:02.25 | | 4. Ravilya Agletdinova-Kotovich | URS | 4:02.67 | | 5. Wendy Smith-Sly |  GBR | 4:04.14 | | 6. Doina Melinte |  ROU | 4:04.42 | | 7. Gabriella Dorio |  ITA | 4:04.73 | | 8. Brit Lind-Petersen-McRoberts |  CAN | 4:05.73 | | 9. Christina Boxer-Cahill | GBR | 4:06.74 | | 10.Cornelia Burki |  SUI | 4:11.61 | | 11.Ivana Kleinova-Walterova-Kubesova |  TCH | 4:15.12 | | 12.Maria Radu | ROU | 4:19.03 |
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| Round | H | Athl. | Date | | Heats | 2 | 26 | 12.08 |
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| Heat 1 | time | | 1. Ravilya Agletdinova-Kotovich | URS | 4:10.71 | | 2. Ivana Kleinova-Walterova-Kubesova | TCH | 4:10.82 | | 3. Brit Lind-Petersen-McRoberts | CAN | 4:10.88 | | 4. Christiane Wartenberg |  GDR | 4:10.89 | | 5. Totka Petrova |  BUL | 4:12.31 | | 6. Cindy Bremser | USA | 4:14.10 | | 7. Kriscia Garcia |  ESA | 4:40.21 | | 8. Bigna Samuel |  STV | 4:51.35 | | 9. Kungu Bakombo |  COD | 4:54.12 |
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| Heat 2 | time | | 1. Mary Decker-Slaney | USA | 4:07.47 | | 2. Zamira Zaitseva | URS | 4:07.64 | | 3. Wendy Smith-Sly | GBR | 4:08.16 | | 4. Cornelia Burki | SUI | 4:08.61 | | 5. Maria Radu | ROU | 4:10.15 | | 6. Marcianne Mukamurenzi |  RWA | 4:30.58 | | 7. Vivian Pearson |  MAW | 5:03.70 | | -. Aurora Cunha |  POR | DNS |
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| Heat 3 | time | | 1. Yekaterina Podkopayeva | URS | 4:09.39 | | 2. Gabriella Dorio | ITA | 4:09.45 | | 3. Doina Melinte | ROU | 4:09.71 | | 4. Christina Boxer-Cahill | GBR | 4:09.88 | | 5. Betty Van Steenbroeck |  BEL | 4:12.93 | | 6. Marjo-Riitta Lakka |  FIN | 4:22.33 | | 7. Hala El Moughrabi |  SYR | 4:45.62 | | 8. Khadija Al Matari |  JOR | 5:01.83 | | -. Brigitte Kraus |  FRG | DNS |
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