| 1 | Helga Haase (Senior) | GDR | 45.90 | OR, NR | - |
| 2 | Natalja Dontsjenko (Senior) | URS | 46.00 | PB | +0.100 |
| 3 | Jean Ashworth (Neo) | USA | 46.10 | NR | +0.200 |
| 4 | Tamara Rylova (Senior) | URS | 46.20 | | +0.300 |
| 5 | Hatsue Takemizawa (Senior) | JPN | 46.60 | NR | +0.700 |
| 6 | Elwira Seroczynska (Senior) | POL | 46.80 | NR | +0.900 |
| Klara Guseva-Nesterova (Neo) | URS | 46.80 | | +0.900 |
| 8 | Fumie Hama (Neo) | JPN | 47.40 | SB | +1.500 |
| 9 | Doreen Ryan (Senior) | CAN | 47.70 | NR | +1.800 |
| 10 | Kathleen Mulholland (A2) | USA | 47.90 | NRJ, TRJ | +2.000 |
| 11 | Iris Sihvonen (Neo) | FIN | 48.10 | NRJ, NR | +2.200 |
| 12 | Helena Pilejczyk (Senior) | POL | 48.20 | SB | +2.300 |
| 13 | Eevi Huttunen (M35) | FIN | 48.30 | NRM | +2.400 |
| Françoise Lucas (Neo) | FRA | 48.30 | NR | +2.400 |
| 15 | Christina Scherling (Neo) | SWE | 48.70 | SB | +2.800 |
| 16 | Jeanne Omelenchuk (Senior) | USA | 49.30 | SB | +3.400 |
| 17 | Margaret Robb (A1) | CAN | 50.00 | NRJ | +4.100 |
| 18 | Sigrid Behrenz (A2) | GDR | 50.20 | NRJ | +4.300 |
| 19 | Yoshiko Takano (A1) | JPN | 50.30 | NRJ | +4.400 |
| 20 | Natascha Liebknecht (Neo) | GDR | 51.40 | PB | +5.500 |
| 21 | Kyeong-Hee Kim (A2) | KOR | 53.20 | NRJ | +7.300 |
| 22 | Hye-Ja Han (A2) | KOR | 53.80 | PB | +7.900 |
| DQ | Elsa Einarsson (A1) | SWE | DQ | | - |