| 1. Grit Breuer |  Germany | 50.81s | | | 2. Olga Kotlyarova |  Russia | 51.70s | | | 3. Tatyana Chebykina | Russia | 51.71s | | | 4. Ionela Târlea |  Romania | 52.90s | | | 1. Virna De Angeli |  Italy | 52.17s | NR | | 2. Hana Benešová |  Czechia | 52.23s | | | 3. Helena Fuchsová | Czechia | 52.37s | | | 4. Naděžda Koštovalová | Czechia | 53.02s | |
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| | First - from each Semi advanced to Final. |
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| | | First - from each Heat and next Best 4 advanced to Semi-Finals. |
| 4. Helena Fuchsová | Czechia | 53.19s | Q | | -. Brigita Langerholc |  Slovenia | DQ | | | -. Marie-Louise Bévis |  France | DQ | | | 4. Ionela Târlea | Romania | 52.30s | Q | | 5. Helena Fuchsová | Czechia | 52.35s | qB | | 11.Marina Živković |  Yugoslavia | 53.85s | | | 12.Ŷ"znur Dursun |  Turkey | 53.91s | |
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| 3. Olga Kotlyarova | Russia | 53.09s | Q | | 5. Hana Benešová | Czechia | 53.29s | Q | | 10.Marina Živković | Yugoslavia | 53.89s | q | | 1. Grit Breuer | Germany | 51.33s | Q | | 2. Tatyana Chebykina | Russia | 52.03s | q | | 8. Hana Benešová | Czechia | 52.75s | qB | | 9. Dora Kyriacou |  Cyprus | 53.47s | |
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| 6. Ionela Târlea | Romania | 53.49s | Q | | 8. Naděžda Koštovalová | Czechia | 53.64s | Q | | 11.Emma Nicholson |  Ireland | 54.13s | q | | 3. Olga Kotlyarova | Russia | 52.29s | Q | | 6. Virna De Angeli | Italy | 52.35s | qB | | 7. Naděžda Koštovalová | Czechia | 52.35s | qB | | 10.Emma Nicholson | Ireland | 53.63s | |
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| 7. Tatyana Chebykina | Russia | 53.54s | Q | | 9. Ŷ"znur Dursun | Turkey | 53.78s | Q | | -. Yana Manuylova |  Ukraine | DQ | |
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