| 1 | Christa Rothenburger (Senior) | GDR | 41.30 | (1) | TR | 1:24.93 | (2) | | 41.33 | (2) | | 1:23.06 | (2) | | 166.625 | TR, SB | - |
| 2 | Karin Kania-Enke (Senior) | GDR | 42.04 | (3) | | 1:24.81 | (1) | TR | 41.46 | (3) | | 1:21.81 | (1) | TR | 166.810 | SB | +0.185 |
| 3 | Bonnie Blair (Senior) | USA | 41.60 | (2) | | 1:25.83 | (4) | | 41.03 | (1) | TR | 1:23.90 | (3) | | 167.495 | SB | +0.870 |
| 4 | Seiko Hashimoto (Neo) | JPN | 42.14 | (5) | | 1:27.71 | (5) | | 42.12 | (5) | | 1:24.74 | (5) | | 170.485 | SB | +3.860 |
| 5 | Angela Stahnke (Neo) | GDR | 42.05 | (4) | | 1:27.95 | (6) | | 42.05 | (4) | | 1:25.15 | (6) | | 170.650 | | +4.025 |
| 6 | Andrea Ehrig-Mitscherlich (Senior) | GDR | 43.13 | (10) | | 1:25.69 | (3) | | 43.51 | (12) | | 1:23.90 | (3) | | 171.435 | SB | +4.810 |
| 7 | Zofia Tokarczyk (Senior) | POL | 42.72 | (7) | | 1:30.09 | (11) | | 42.79 | (6) | | 1:25.57 | (7) | | 173.340 | | +6.715 |
| 8 | Christine Aaftink (Neo) | NED | 42.85 | (8) | | 1:28.46 | (7) | | 43.18 | (7) | | 1:28.45 | (12) | | 174.485 | | +7.860 |
| 9 | Erwina Rys-Ferens (Senior) | POL | 43.41 | (13) | | 1:29.42 | (8) | | 44.17 | (17) | | 1:26.66 | (8) | | 175.620 | SB | +8.995 |
| 10 | Shouko Fusano (Neo) | JPN | 43.25 | (11) | | 1:30.89 | (15) | | 43.23 | (8) | | 1:27.51 | (9) | | 175.680 | | +9.055 |
| 11 | Katie Class (Senior) | USA | 44.20 | (19) | | 1:29.69 | (9) | | 43.45 | (11) | | 1:27.92 | (11) | | 176.455 | SB | +9.830 |
| 12 | Shelley Rhead (Neo) | CAN | 42.44 | (6) | | 1:31.39 | (18) | | 43.43 | (10) | | 1:29.98 | (16) | | 176.555 | SB | +9.930 |
| 13 | Emese Nemeth-Hunyady (Neo) | AUT | 44.03 | (18) | | 1:30.10 | (12) | | 43.90 | (16) | | 1:27.75 | (10) | | 176.855 | | +10.230 |
| 14 | Ingrid Haringa (Neo) | NED | 43.40 | (12) | | 1:31.11 | (16) | | 43.69 | (13) | | 1:28.99 | (13) | | 177.140 | | +10.515 |
| 15 | Leslie Bader (Senior) | USA | 43.86 | (16) | | 1:30.84 | (14) | | 43.69 | (13) | | 1:29.00 | (14) | | 177.470 | PB | +10.845 |
| 16 | Natalie Grenier (Senior) | CAN | 43.98 | (17) | | 1:30.31 | (13) | | 43.86 | (15) | | 1:29.51 | (15) | | 177.750 | SB | +11.125 |
| 17 | Mariska Hekkers (Neo) | NED | 44.78 | (21) | | 1:32.25 | (20) | | 44.74 | (18) | | 1:30.00 | (17) | | 180.645 | | +14.020 |
| 18 | Noriko Miyaji (Neo) | JPN | 43.73 | (15) | | 1:34.85 | (22) | | 44.78 | (19) | | 1:30.73 | (18) | | 181.300 | SB | +14.675 |
| 19 | Anja Mischke (Neo) | FRG | 44.27 | (20) | | 1:32.02 | (19) | | 45.37 | (21) | | 1:32.40 | (19) | | 181.850 | SB | +15.225 |
| 20 | Else Ragni Yttredal (A2) | NOR | 45.32 | (22) | | 1:34.61 | (21) | | 44.98 | (20) | | 1:32.98 | (20) | | 184.095 | | +17.470 |
| Xiuli Wang (Neo) | CHN | DQ | | | DQ | | | DQ | | | DQ | | | 169.360 | | - |
| Qiaobo Ye (Neo) | CHN | DQ | | | DQ | | | DQ | | | DQ | | | 176.015 | | - |
| Monika Gawenus-Pflug (M30) | FRG | 43.67 | (14) | | 1:31.21 | (17) | | DNF | | | - | | | 89.275 | | -1.17.350 |
| Edel Therese Høiseth (Neo) | NOR | 42.89 | (9) | | 1:29.74 | (10) | | 43.28 | (9) | | DNF | | | 131.040 | | -35.585 |