| Final 18:25 | time | | | | 1. Mariya Itkina |  URS | 53.7s | CR | | 2. Yekaterina Parlyuk | URS | 54.8s | | | 3. Moyra Hiscox |  GBR | 55.7s | | | 4. Shirley Pirie | GBR | 55.7s | | | 5. Vera Mukhanova | URS | 56.3s | | | 6. Ida Németh |  HUN | 56.3s | |
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| History Women 400m | | World and European Record: Itkina (URS) 53.6s | | First time the event was held. |
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Semi-Finals on Wednesday 20.08 17:00 not needed.
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Heats - Tuesday 19.08 16:00 | | First 3 to Final |
| Heat 1 | time | | | 1. Mariya Itkina | URS | 54.0s | CR Q | | 2. Shirley Pirie | GBR | 56.2s | Q | | 3. Ida Németh | HUN | 56.8s | Q | | 4. Bärbel Reinnagel |  DDR | 57.7s | | | 5. Lesley MacKinnon | GBR | 58.2s | | | 6. Gül Çıray |  TUR | 1:00.8 | |
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| Heat 2 | time | | | 1. Yekaterina Parlyuk | URS | 55.4s | Q | | 2. Vera Mukhanova | URS | 55.7s | Q | | 3. Moyra Hiscox | GBR | 55.7s | Q | | 4. Maria Jeibmann |  FRG | 55.9s | | | 5. Beata Żbikowska |  POL | 57.2s | | | 6. Jytte Kort |  DEN | 57.9s | |
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