| 1. Carla Sacramento |  Portugal | 4:08.95s | | | 2. Yekaterina Podkopayeva |  Russia | 4:09.65s | | | 3. Małgorzata Rydz |  Poland | 4:10.50s | | | 4. Catalina Gheorghiu |  Romania | 4:10.56s | | | 5. Theresia Kiesl |  Austria | 4:12.61s | | | 6. Sylvia Kühnemund |  Germany | 4:13.34s | | | 7. Frédérique Quentin |  France | 4:13.92s | | | 8. Simona Ionescu | Romania | 4:16.19s | | | -. Mayte Zúñiga |  Spain | DNF | |
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| | | First - from each Heat and next Best - advanced to Final. |
| 1. Theresia Kiesl | Austria | 4:14.20s | Q | | 2. Małgorzata Rydz | Poland | 4:14.35s | Q | | 3. Catalina Gheorghiu | Romania | 4:14.40s | Q | | 4. Yekaterina Podkopayeva | Russia | 4:14.44s | q | | 6. Mayte Zúñiga | Spain | 4:16.06s | q | | 9. Sylvia Kühnemund | Germany | 4:17.82s | q | | 14.Anila Kasati-Mekshi |  Albania | 4:24.18s | |
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| 5. Carla Sacramento | Portugal | 4:15.75s | Q | | 7. Simona Ionescu | Romania | 4:16.15s | Q | | 8. Frédérique Quentin | France | 4:16.71s | Q | | 10.Yelena Bychukovskaya |  Belarus | 4:18.05s | | | 11.Cristina Petite | Spain | 4:18.31s | | | 12.Debbie Gunning |  Great Britain | 4:18.32s | | | 13.Freda Davoren |  Ireland | 4:20.54s | |
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