| Final |   | time |   |  | 1. Jarmila Kratochvílová |   Czechoslovakia | 50.07s | CR |  | 2. Natalya Bochina |   Soviet Union | 52.32s | AJR |  | 3. Verona Elder |   Great Britain | 52.37s |   |  | 4. Karoline Käfer |   Austria | 52.50s |   |   
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  |  | First 2 from each Semi advanced to Final.  |   
| Semi 1 |   | time |   |  | 3. Verona Elder |   Great Britain | 52.80s | Q |  | 5. Natalya Bochina |   Soviet Union | 53.20s | Q |  | 7. Sophie Malbranque |   France | 54.59s |   |  | 8. Rita Daimer |   West Germany | 54.61s |   |   
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| Semi 2 |   | time |   |  | 1. Jarmila Kratochvílová |   Czechoslovakia | 52.04s | Q |  | 2. Karoline Käfer |   Austria | 52.56s | Q |  | 4. Erica Rossi |   Italy | 52.81s |   |  | 6. Sylvie Revaux |   France | 54.01s |   |   
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  Heats - Saturday, 21st February |  | First 2 and Best 2 times advanced to Semi-Finals.  |   
| Heat 1 |   | time |   |  | 1. Natalya Bochina |   Soviet Union | 52.95s | Q |  | 2. Erica Rossi |   Italy | 53.04s | Q |  | 6. Rita Daimer |   West Germany | 53.87s | q |  | 9. Marie-Christine Champenois |   France | 54.59s |   |   
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| Heat 2 |   | time |   |  | 5. Karoline Käfer |   Austria | 53.75s | Q |  | 7. Sophie Malbranque |   France | 54.10s | Q |  | 10.Liliya Tuznikova |   Soviet Union | 55.05s |   |   
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| Heat 3 |   | time |   |  | 3. Jarmila Kratochvílová |   Czechoslovakia | 53.25s | Q |  | 4. Verona Elder |   Great Britain | 53.69s | Q |  | 8. Sylvie Revaux |   France | 54.55s | q |  | -. Montserrat Pujol |   Spain | DNS |   |   
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