| 1 | Gwen Torrence | USA | 23,09 | Q | |
| 2 | Valerie Jean-Charles | FRA | 23,13 | Q | |
| 3 | Pauline Davis-Thompson | BAH | 23,31 | Q | |
| 4 | Huei-Chen Wang | TPE | 23,72 | Q | |
| 5 | Govindasamy Shanti | MAS | 24,09 | q | |
| 6 | Rosanna Browne | ANG | 24,80 | ||
| 7 | Deirdre Caruana | MLT | 25,39 | NR | |
| Mary-Estelle Kapalu | VAN | DNS |
| 1 | Merlene Ottey | JAM | 23,25 | Q | |
| 2 | Galina Malchugina | URS | 23,44 | Q | |
| 3 | Julia Duporty | CUB | 23,71 | Q | |
| 4 | Mariama Ouiminga | BKF | 25,32 | Q | NR |
| 5 | Vaciseva Tavaga | FIJ | 25,48 | NR | |
| 6 | Denise Ouabangui | CAF | 26,03 | NR | |
| 7 | Juliana Nzang Obieng | GEQ | 28,17 | NR |
| 1 | Esther Jones | USA | 23,32 | Q | |
| 2 | Irina Privalova | URS | 23,39 | Q | |
| 3 | Claudete Alves Pina | BRA | 23,83 | Q | |
| 4 | Simmone Jacobs | GBR | 23,87 | Q | |
| 5 | Agnes Kozary | HUN | 23,99 | ||
| 6 | Jane Thondojee | MRI | 25,46 | ||
| 7 | Jatamsuren Otgonchineg | MGL | 25,48 | NR | |
| 8 | Feroza Khatton | BAN | 26,14 | NR |
| 1 | Dannette Young-Stone | USA | 22,77 | Q |
| 2 | Yelena Vinogradova | URS | 22,93 | Q |
| 3 | Silke-Beate Knoll | GER | 23,09 | Q |
| 4 | Maguy Nestoret | FRA | 23,39 | Q |
| 5 | Marisa Masullo | ITA | 23,75 | q |
| 6 | Claudia Acerenza | URU | 24,66 | |
| 7 | Mpoka Mokosi | COD | 27,21 | |
| 8 | Fathimath Fezleen | MLD | 28,30 |
| 1 | Sisko Markkanen-Hanhijoki | FIN | 23,12 | Q |
| 2 | Jennifer Stoute | GBR | 23,18 | Q |
| 3 | Katrin Krabbe | GER | 23,23 | Q |
| 4 | Orit Kolodni | ISR | 23,78 | Q |
| 5 | Gailey Dube | ZIM | 24,22 | q |
| 6 | Olga Conte | ARG | 24,97 | |
| 7 | Aminata Konate | GUI | 25,12 |
| 1 | Katrin Krabbe | GER | 22,46 | Q | |
| 2 | Dannette Young-Stone | USA | 22,49 | Q | |
| 3 | Galina Malchugina | URS | 22,49 | Q | |
| 4 | Valerie Jean-Charles | FRA | 23,23 | Q | |
| 5 | Orit Kolodni | ISR | 23,61 | q | |
| 6 | Mariama Ouiminga | BKF | 25,23 | NR | |
| Jennifer Stoute | GBR | DNF | |||
| Gailey Dube | ZIM | DNS |
| 1 | Gwen Torrence | USA | 22,52 | Q |
| 2 | Pauline Davis-Thompson | BAH | 22,82 | Q |
| 3 | Yelena Vinogradova | URS | 22,82 | Q |
| 4 | Sisko Markkanen-Hanhijoki | FIN | 23,17 | Q |
| 5 | Simmone Jacobs | GBR | 23,37 | q |
| 6 | Julia Duporty | CUB | 23,46 | q |
| 7 | Huei-Chen Wang | TPE | 23,63 | |
| 8 | Govindasamy Shanti | MAS | 24,19 |
| 1 | Merlene Ottey | JAM | 22,64 | Q |
| 2 | Irina Privalova | URS | 22,89 | Q |
| 3 | Silke-Beate Knoll | GER | 22,97 | Q |
| 4 | Esther Jones | USA | 23,03 | Q |
| 5 | Maguy Nestoret | FRA | 23,46 | q |
| 6 | Marisa Masullo | ITA | 23,70 | |
| 7 | Claudete Alves Pina | BRA | 23,80 | |
| 8 | Agnes Kozary | HUN | 23,99 |
| 1 | Katrin Krabbe | GER | 22,30 | Q |
| 2 | Dannette Young-Stone | USA | 22,69 | Q |
| 3 | Pauline Davis-Thompson | BAH | 22,80 | Q |
| 4 | Yelena Vinogradova | URS | 22,83 | Q |
| 5 | Esther Jones | USA | 23,22 | |
| 6 | Julia Duporty | CUB | 23,58 | |
| 7 | Valerie Jean-Charles | FRA | 23,64 | |
| 8 | Simmone Jacobs | GBR | 23,72 |
| 1 | Gwen Torrence | USA | 22,58 | Q |
| 2 | Merlene Ottey | JAM | 22,59 | Q |
| 3 | Irina Privalova | URS | 22,70 | Q |
| 4 | Galina Malchugina | URS | 22,92 | Q |
| 5 | Silke-Beate Knoll | GER | 23,49 | |
| 6 | Maguy Nestoret | FRA | 23,79 | |
| 7 | Sisko Markkanen-Hanhijoki | FIN | 24,12 | |
| 8 | Orit Kolodni | ISR | 24,27 |