| 1 | Karin Kania-Enke (Senior) | GDR | 42.06 | (4) | | 1:24.48 | (1) | | 41.26 | (3) | | 1:22.25 | (1) | TR | 166.685 | TR | - |
| 2 | Bonnie Blair (Neo) | USA | 41.63 | (2) | | 1:26.84 | (3) | | 40.50 | (1) | TR | 1:24.52 | (4) | | 167.810 | SB | +1.125 |
| 3 | Christa Rothenburger (Senior) | GDR | 41.33 | (1) | | 1:29.41 | (10) | | 41.18 | (2) | | 1:23.45 | (2) | SB | 168.940 | SB | +2.255 |
| 4 | Andrea Ehrig-Mitscherlich (Senior) | GDR | 42.88 | (12) | | 1:26.27 | (2) | | 42.53 | (12) | | 1:24.27 | (3) | | 170.680 | | +3.995 |
| 5 | Seiko Hashimoto (Neo) | JPN | 42.39 | (6) | | 1:28.76 | (7) | | 42.35 | (10) | | 1:25.22 | (5) | | 171.730 | SB | +5.045 |
| 6 | Monika Gawenus-Pflug (M30) | FRG | 41.76 | (3) | | 1:32.30 | (23) | | 41.51 | (4) | SB | 1:26.95 | (13) | | 172.895 | SB | +6.210 |
| 7 | Katie Class (Senior) | USA | 43.57 | (18) | | 1:28.44 | (5) | | 42.14 | (8) | | 1:26.10 | (8) | | 172.980 | SB | +6.295 |
| 8 | Tatjana Kabutova (A2) | URS | 42.61 | (7) | | 1:29.48 | (11) | | 42.64 | (14) | | 1:26.13 | (9) | TRJ | 173.055 | TRJ | +6.370 |
| 9 | Irina Fatejeva (Senior) | URS | 42.80 | (10) | | 1:28.17 | (4) | | 42.94 | (21) | | 1:26.98 | (14) | | 173.315 | | +6.630 |
| 10 | Yvonne van Gennip (Neo) | NED | 43.84 | (22) | | 1:28.47 | (6) | | 42.86 | (18) | | 1:25.60 | (7) | | 173.735 | SB | +7.050 |
| 11 | Xiuli Wang (Neo) | CHN | 44.13 | (23) | | 1:29.92 | (13) | | 42.03 | (6) | NR | 1:25.24 | (6) | NR | 173.740 | NR | +7.055 |
| 12 | Erwina Rys-Ferens (Senior) | POL | 43.26 | (15) | | 1:29.38 | (9) | | 42.85 | (17) | | 1:26.22 | (10) | | 173.910 | SB | +7.225 |
| 13 | Edel Therese Høiseth (Neo) | NOR | 43.09 | (13) | | 1:31.87 | (19) | | 42.00 | (5) | | 1:26.43 | (11) | | 174.240 | SB | +7.555 |
| 14 | Irina Kulesjova-Kovrova (Senior) | URS | 42.80 | (10) | | 1:28.82 | (8) | | 42.81 | (15) | | 1:28.58 | (22) | | 174.310 | | +7.625 |
| 15 | Angela Stahnke (Neo) | GDR | 43.66 | (19) | | 1:30.69 | (15) | | 42.28 | (9) | | 1:26.92 | (12) | | 174.745 | | +8.060 |
| 16 | Ingrid Haringa (Neo) | NED | 43.23 | (14) | | 1:29.80 | (12) | | 43.01 | (22) | | 1:27.59 | (16) | | 174.935 | | +8.250 |
| 17 | Emese Nemeth-Hunyady (Neo) | AUT | 42.72 | (8) | | 1:31.89 | (20) | | 42.62 | (13) | | 1:27.32 | (15) | | 174.945 | NR | +8.260 |
| 18 | Shouko Fusano (Neo) | JPN | 43.44 | (17) | | 1:32.41 | (24) | | 42.07 | (7) | SB | 1:27.70 | (18) | | 175.565 | SB | +8.880 |
| 19 | Shelley Rhead (Neo) | CAN | 43.41 | (16) | | 1:32.51 | (25) | | 42.43 | (11) | | 1:28.44 | (21) | | 176.315 | SB | +9.630 |
| 20 | Marina Jevgrafova (A2) | URS | 42.37 | (5) | TRJ | 1:33.59 | (27) | | 43.12 | (23) | | 1:28.11 | (19) | | 176.340 | | +9.655 |
| 21 | Seon-Hee Yoo (Neo) | KOR | 42.78 | (9) | | 1:33.53 | (26) | | 42.92 | (19) | | 1:28.68 | (24) | | 176.805 | SB | +10.120 |
| 22 | Natalie Grenier (Neo) | CAN | 44.81 | (25) | | 1:31.35 | (17) | | 42.93 | (20) | | 1:28.20 | (20) | | 177.515 | SB | +10.830 |
| 23 | Chihaya Tanaka (A1) | JPN | 44.33 | (24) | | 1:31.27 | (16) | | 43.30 | (24) | | 1:28.61 | (23) | | 177.570 | SB | +10.885 |
| 24 | Leslie Bader (Neo) | USA | 45.86 | (27) | | 1:30.62 | (14) | | 43.32 | (25) | | 1:27.63 | (17) | | 178.305 | SB | +11.620 |
| 25 | Sylvie Daigle (Senior) | CAN | 43.71 | (21) | | 1:35.10 | (29) | | 43.32 | (25) | SB | 1:28.84 | (26) | | 179.000 | SB | +12.315 |
| 26 | Ariane Loignon (Neo) | CAN | 45.74 | (26) | | 1:31.42 | (18) | | 43.38 | (27) | | 1:28.78 | (25) | | 179.220 | SB | +12.535 |
| 27 | Miyuki Toda (Neo) | JPN | 43.69 | (20) | | 1:36.06 | (30) | | 42.82 | (16) | SB | 1:29.68 | (27) | | 179.380 | SB | +12.695 |
| 28 | Else Ragni Yttredal (A1) | NOR | 46.17 | (28) | | 1:31.91 | (21) | | 43.54 | (28) | | 1:32.11 | (29) | | 181.720 | SB | +15.035 |
| 29 | Jasmin Krohn (Neo) | SWE | 46.19 | (29) | | 1:31.91 | (21) | | 44.75 | (29) | SB | 1:30.41 | (28) | | 182.100 | SB | +15.415 |
| 30 | Karen Gardiner (Senior) | AUS | 46.48 | (30) | | 1:34.91 | (28) | | 46.09 | (30) | | 1:32.34 | (30) | NR | 186.195 | NR | +19.510 |