| 1 | Ravilya Agletdinova-Kotovich | URS | 4:10,71 | Q | |
| 2 | Ivana Kleinova-Walterova-Kubesova | TCH | 4:10,82 | Q | |
| 3 | Brit Lind-Petersen-McRoberts | CAN | 4:10,88 | Q | |
| 4 | Christiane Wartenberg | GDR | 4:10,89 | ||
| 5 | Totka Petrova | BUL | 4:12,31 | ||
| 6 | Cindy Bremser | USA | 4:14,10 | ||
| 7 | Kriscia Garcia | ESA | 4:40,21 | ||
| 8 | Bigna Samuel | STV | 4:51,35 | ||
| 9 | Kungu Bakombo | COD | 4:54,12 | NR |
| 1 | Mary Decker-Slaney | USA | 4:07,47 | Q | |
| 2 | Zamira Zaitseva | URS | 4:07,64 | Q | |
| 3 | Wendy Smith-Sly | GBR | 4:08,16 | Q | |
| 4 | Cornelia Bürki | SUI | 4:08,61 | q | |
| 5 | Maria Radu | ROM | 4:10,15 | q | |
| 6 | Marcianne Mukamurenzi | RWA | 4:30,58 | NR | |
| 7 | Vivian Pearson | MAW | 5:03,70 | ||
| Aurora Cunha | POR | DNS |
| 1 | Yekaterina Podkopayeva | URS | 4:09,39 | Q |
| 2 | Gabriella Dorio | ITA | 4:09,45 | Q |
| 3 | Doina Melinte | ROM | 4:09,71 | Q |
| 4 | Christina Boxer-Cahill | GBR | 4:09,88 | q |
| 5 | Betty Van Steenbroeck | BEL | 4:12,93 | |
| 6 | Marjo-Riitta Lakka | FIN | 4:22,33 | |
| 7 | Hala El Moughrabi | SYR | 4:45,62 | |
| 8 | Khadija Al Matari | JOR | 5:01,83 | |
| Brigitte Kraus | FRG | DNS |