| 1 | Lidija Skoblikova (Senior) | URS | 45.00 | OR, TR | - |
| 2 | Irina.40 Jegorova (Senior) | URS | 45.40 | SB | +0.400 |
| 3 | Tatjana Sidorova (Senior) | URS | 45.50 | | +0.500 |
| 4 | Jean Ashworth (Senior) | USA | 46.20 | | +1.200 |
| Janice Smith (A2) | USA | 46.20 | | +1.200 |
| 6 | Gunilla Jacobsson (A1) | SWE | 46.50 | TRJ | +1.500 |
| 7 | Mary Lawler (A2) | USA | 46.60 | | +1.600 |
| 8 | Helga Haase (Senior) | GDR | 47.20 | | +2.200 |
| 9 | Inger Eriksson (Neo) | SWE | 47.30 | | +2.300 |
| 10 | Doreen Ryan (M30) | CAN | 47.70 | | +2.700 |
| 11 | Christina Scherling (Senior) | SWE | 47.80 | | +2.800 |
| 12 | Hatsue Takemizawa-Nagakubo (Senior) | JPN | 47.90 | | +2.900 |
| 13 | Doreen McCannell (B1) | CAN | 48.00 | NRJ | +3.000 |
| Kaija Mustonen (Neo) | FIN | 48.00 | | +3.000 |
| 15 | Choon-Za Ryo (Neo) | PRK | 48.40 | PB | +3.400 |
| 16 | Kaija-Liisa Keskivitikka (A1) | FIN | 48.80 | SB | +3.800 |
| Elwira Seroczynska (M30) | POL | 48.80 | | +3.800 |
| 18 | Françoise Lucas (Senior) | FRA | 48.90 | SB | +3.900 |
| 19 | Yasuko Takano (Neo) | JPN | 49.30 | SB | +4.300 |
| 20 | Hye-Seok Kim (B2) | KOR | 49.60 | NRJ, NR | +4.600 |
| 21 | Brigitte Reichert (A1) | GDR | 49.80 | NRJ | +4.800 |
| 22 | Adelhejda Mroske (Neo) | POL | 49.90 | | +4.900 |
| 23 | Helena Pilejczyk (M30) | POL | 50.10 | | +5.100 |
| 24 | Kaneko Takahashi (Neo) | JPN | 50.50 | | +5.500 |
| 25 | Sigrid Behrenz (Neo) | GDR | 50.90 | SB | +5.900 |
| Kornelia Ihász (Senior) | HUN | 50.90 | NR | +5.900 |
| 27 | Jarmila Štastná-Königová (M30) | TCH | 52.00 | | +7.000 |
| 28 | Pil-Hwa Han (Neo) | PRK | 58.50 | | +13.500 |