| Venue: Olimpiapark Swimming Hall. 30 competitors from 18 nations. |
| Final | Points | Final | Qualif. | age | | 1. Micki King | USA | 450.03 | 160.89 | 1. | 289.14 | 3. | 28 | | 2. Ulrika Knape | SWE | 434.19 | 141.60 | 6. | 292.59 | 1. | 17 | | 3. Marina Janicke | GDR | 430.92 | 157.44 | 2. | 273.48 | 8. | 18 | | 4. Janet Ely | USA | 420.99 | 151.08 | 3. | 269.91 | 9. | 18 | | 5. Beverly Boys | CAN | 418.89 | 144.54 | 5. | 274.35 | 7. | 21 | | 6. Agneta Henriksson | SWE | 417.48 | 126.69 | 9. | 290.79 | 2. | 19 | | 7. Cynthia Potter | USA | 413.58 | 148.68 | 4. | 264.90 | 10. | 21 | | 8. Elzbieta Wierniuk | POL | 408.36 | 131.04 | 8. | 277.32 | 6. | 21 | | 9. Heidi Becker | GDR | 405.78 | 124.20 | 10. | 281.58 | 4. | 17 | | 10.Milena Duchková | TCH | 400.83 | 137.28 | 7. | 263.55 | 11. | 20 | | 11.Christa Köhler | GDR | 394.20 | 115.32 | 12. | 278.88 | 5. | 21 | | 12.Alison Drake | GBR | 378.18 | 115.86 | 11. | 262.32 | 12. | 19 |
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| Divers performed three voluntary dives without limit of degrees of difficulty. The final ranking was determined by the combined score with the preliminary round. |
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| | | Divers performed 7 dives. First 12 advanced to Final. |
| Ranking | Points | | 1. Ulrika Knape | SWE | 292.59 | | 2. Agneta Henriksson | SWE | 290.79 | | 3. Micki King | USA | 289.14 | | 4. Heidi Becker | GDR | 281.58 | | 5. Christa Köhler | GDR | 278.88 | | 6. Elzbieta Wierniuk | POL | 277.32 | | 7. Beverly Boys | CAN | 274.35 | | 8. Marina Janicke | GDR | 273.48 | | 9. Janet Ely | USA | 269.91 | | 10.Cynthia Potter | USA | 264.90 | | 11.Milena Duchková | TCH | 263.55 | | 12.Alison Drake | GBR | 262.32 | | eliminated | | 13.Michaela Herweck | FRG | 261.78 | | 14.Nataliya Kuznetsova-Lobanova | URS | 258.45 | | 15.Bertha Baraldi | MEX | 252.66 | | 16.Tatyana Shtyreva | URS | 252.42 | | 17.Tamara Fedosova-Pogosheva | URS | 252.09 | | 18.Regina Krajnow | POL | 248.91 | | 19.Teri York | CAN | 247.14 | | 20.Elizabeth Carruthers | CAN | 243.84 | | 21.Sorana Prelipceanu | ROU | 242.61 | | 22.Helen Koppell | GBR | 242.22 | | 23.Mariette Dommers | NED | 239.40 | | 24.Laura Kivelä | FIN | 236.25 | | 24.Taeko Kubo | JPN | 236.25 | | 26.Glenise Jones | AUS | 232.44 | | 27.Melania Decuseara | ROU | 232.02 | | 28.Christiane Wiles | FRA | 229.56 | | 29.Betsy Sullivan | JAM | 210.39 | | 30.Mirnawati Hardjolukito | INA | 188.94 |
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| Olympic Champions Women 3m Springboard | | 2016: | Shi Tingmao | CHN | | 2012: | Wu Minxia | CHN | | 2008: | Guo Jingjing | CHN | | 2004: | Guo Jingjing | CHN | | 2000: | Fu Mingxia | CHN | | 1996: | Fu Mingxia | CHN | | 1992: | Gao Min | CHN | | 1988: | Gao Min | CHN | | 1984: | Sylvie Bernier | CAN | | 1980: | Irina Kalinina | URS | | 1976: | Jennifer Chandler | USA | | 1972: | Micki King | USA | | 1968: | Susanne Gossick | USA | | 1964: | Ingrid Krämer | EUA | | 1960: | Ingrid Krämer | EUA | | 1956: | Pat McCormick | USA | | 1952: | Pat McCormick | USA | | 1948: | Vicki Draves | USA | | 1936: | Marjorie Gestring | USA | | 1932: | Georgia Coleman | USA | | 1928: | Helen Meany | USA | | 1924: | Elizabeth Becker | USA | | 1920: | Aileen Riggin | USA |
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