| Final | time | | | 1. Valerie Brisco-Hooks |  United States | 21.81s | OR | | | 2. Florence Griffith | United States | 22.04s | | | 3. Merlene Ottey-Page |  Jamaica | 22.09s | | | 4. Kathryn Cook |  Great Britain | 22.10s | | | 5. Grace Jackson | Jamaica | 22.20s | | | 6. Randy Givens | United States | 22.36s | | | 7. Rose-Aimée Bacoul |  France | 22.78s | | | 8. Liliane Gaschet | France | 22.86s | |
|
| | | Venue: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 100,000. -- competitors from -- nations. |
|
|
| | | First 4 from each Semi advanced to Final. |
| Semi 1 | time | | L | | 1. Florence Griffith | United States | 22.27s | | 7 | | 2. Merlene Ottey-Page | Jamaica | 22.57s | | 1 | | 3. Randy Givens | United States | 22.69s | | 3 | | 4. Liliane Gaschet | France | 22.73s | | 5 | | 5. Joan Baptiste | Great Britain | 22.86s | | 8 | | 6. Helinae Marjamaa |  Finland | 23.12s | | 4 | | 7. Elisabeth Vader |  Netherlands | 23.43s | | 6 | | 8. Ruth Waithera |  Kenya | 23.45s | | 2 |
|
|
| Semi 2 | time | | L | | 1. Valerie Brisco-Hooks | United States | 22.28s | | 2 | | 2. Grace Jackson | Jamaica | 22.32s | | 1 | | 3. Kathryn Cook | Great Britain | 22.38s | | 5 | | 4. Rose-Aimée Bacoul | France | 22.53s | | 4 | | 5. Angela Bailey |  Canada | 22.75s | | 6 | | 6. Marisa Masullo |  Italy | 22.88s | | 7 | | 7. Heidi-Elke Gaugel |  West Germany | 23.02s | | 3 | | 7. Pauline Davis |  Bahamas | 23.02s | | 8 |
|
| Quarter 1 | time | | | 1. Florence Griffith | USA | 22.56s | 3 | | 2. Joan Baptiste | GBR | 23.31s | 4 | | 3. Raymonde Naigre | FRA | 23.50s | 7 | | 4. Angela Bailey | CAN | 24.15s | 1 | | 5. Semra Aksu |  TUR | 24.27s | 5 | | 6. Lydia De Vega |  PHI | 25.10s | 2 | | 7. Miriama Tuisorisori |  FIJ | 26.82s | 7 | | -. Eugenia Osh-Williams |  SLE | DNS | 8 |
|
|
| Quarter 2 | time | | | 1. Grace Jackson | JAM | 22.70s | 2 | | 2. Pauline Davis | BAH | 23.37s | 4 | | 3. Heide Gaugel | FRG | 23.37s | 1 | | 4. Ruth Enang Mesode |  CMR | 24.39s | 5 | | 5. Nzaeli Kyomo |  TAN | 24.68s | 3 | | 6. Soraima Martha |  AHO | 25.56s | 7 | | 7. Marie Ange Wirtz |  SEY | 25.88s | 6 | | -. Marita Payne | CAN | DNS | 8 |
|
| Quarter 3 | time | | | 1. Valerie Brisco-Hooks | USA | 23.30s | 7 | | 2. Elisabeth Vader |  HOL | 23.65s | 6 | | 3. Teresa Rione |  ESP | 24.48s | 3 | | 4. Myung-Hee Mo |  KOR | 24.86s | 4 | | 5. Amie Ndow |  GAY | 25.41s | 5 | | -. Angella Taylor | CAN | DNS | 2 | | -. Gillian Forde |  TRI | DNS | 8 |
|
|
| Quarter 4 | time | | | 1. Merlene Ottey-Page | JAM | 22.90s | 8 | | 2. Marisa Masullo | ITA | 23.30s | 7 | | 3. Liliane Gaschet | FRA | 23.32s | 5 | | 4. Angela Williams | TRI | 23.38s | 4 | | 5. Christa Schumann-Lottman |  GUA | 24.91s | 3 | | 6. Emma Tahapari |  INA | 25.07s | 2 | | -. Mercy Addy |  GHA | DNS | 6 |
|
| Heat 1 | time | | L | | 1. Rose-Aimée Bacoul | France | 22.57s | | 7 | | 2. Valerie Brisco-Hooks | United States | 22.78s | | 1 | | 3. Angela Bailey | Canada | 22.97s | | 3 | | 4. Pauline Davis | Bahamas | 22.97s | | 6 | | 5. Sandra Whittaker | Great Britain | 22.98s | | 5 | | 6. Janet Burke | Jamaica | 23.56s | | 8 | | 7. Françoise Mpika |  Congo | 24.97s | | 2 | | -. Angela Williams | TRI | DNS | | 4 |
|
|
| Heat 2 | time | | L | | 1. Merlene Ottey-Page | Jamaica | 22.53s | | 4 | | 2. Liliane Gaschet | France | 22.87s | | 3 | | 3. Katrhyn Cook | Great Britain | 23.02s | | 5 | | 4. Marisa Masullo | Italy | 23.19s | | 6 | | 5. Michaela Schabinger | West Germany | 23.84s | | 1 | | 6. Mo Myung-hee | South Korea | 24.70s | | 7 | | 7. Christa Schumann | Guatemala | 24.90s | | 2 | | 8. Nzaeli Kyomo | Tanzania | 25.11s | | 8 |
|
| Heat 3 | time | | L | | 1. Grace Jackson | Jamaica | 22.52s | | | | 2. Randy Givens | United States | 22.81s | | | | 3. Elisabeth Vader | Netherlands | 23.31s | | 5 | | 4. Ruth Waithera | Kenya | 23.37s | | 3 | | 5. Raymonde Naigre | France | 23.54s | | 4 | | 6. Teresa Rioné | Spain | 23.78s | | 2 | | 7. Elanga Buala |  Papua New Guinea | 24.87s | | 8 | | 8. Arnie Ndow |  Gambia | 25.24s | | 7 |
|
|
| Heat 4 | time | | L | | 1. Florence Griffith | United States | 22.33s | | 6 | | 2. Joan Baptiste | Great Britain | 23.11s | | 5 | | 3. Heidi-Elke Gaugel | West Germany | 23.19s | | 7 | | 4. Helinae Marjamaa | Finland | 23.51s | | 8 | | 5. Semra Aksu | Turkey | 24.03s | | 3 | | 6. Ruth Enang Mesode | Cameroon | 24.25s | | 2 | | 7. Divina Estrella |  Dominicana | 24.98s | | 4 | | -. Emma Tahapari | Indonesia | DNSs | | 1 |
|
| 
