| Final | | time | gap | L | | 1. Ulrike Tauber |  East Germany | 4:45.22 | | 4 | | 2. Sabine Kahle | East Germany | 4:50.70 | +5.48s | 5 | | 3. Sharron Davies |  Great Britain | 4:54.95 | +9.73s | 3 | | 4. Ann-Sofi Roos |  Sweden | 4:58.85 | +13.63s | 2 | | 5. Olga Klevakina |  Soviet Union | 4:58.87 | +13.65s | 6 | | 6. Susanne Nielsen |  Denmark | 5:03.15 | +17.93s | 7 | | 7. Agnes Jansen |  Netherlands | 5:07.92 | +22.70s | 8 | | 8. Marita Karlsen |  Norway | 5:08.20 | +32.98s | 1 |
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Heats - Thursday, 18th August |
| Heat 1 | time | Rk. | | 1. Olga Klevakina | URS | 5:00.80 | 4. | | 2. Marita Karlsen | NOR | 5:04.70 | 7. | | 3. Colette Crabe |  BEL | 5:10.90 | 12. | | 4. Alexandra Kenney | GBR | 5:11.44 | 13. | | 5. Michaela Costea |  ROU | 5:13.29 | 15. | | 6. Maria Slonia |  POL | 5:23.96 | 21. |
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| Heat 2 | time | Rk. | | 1. Sharron Davies | GBR | 4:59.27 | 3. | | 2. Agnes Jansen | NED | 5:07.95 | 8. | | 3. Sonya Dangalakova |  BUL | 5:09.89 | 10. | | 4. Joanna Pizon | POL | 5:10.79 | 11. |
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| Heat 3 | time | Rk. | | 1. Sabine Kahle | GDR | 4:58.12 | 2. | | 2. Ann-Sofi Roos | SWE | 5:02.02 | 5. | | 3. Monica Parsmark | SWE | 5:09.29 | 9. | | 4. Renate Sternberg |  FRG | 5:11.65 | 14. | | 5. Michele Pierette | BEL | 5:19.65 | 19. |
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| Heat 4 | time | Rk. | | 1. Ulrike Tauber | GDR | 4:50.30 | 1. | | 2. Susanne Nielsen | DEN | 5:03.42 | 6. | | 3. Dina Schmidt | URS | 5:13.87 | 16. | | 4. Agnes Fodor |  HUN | 5:15.20 | 17. | | 5. Margarita Maunsbach | DEN | 5:18.23 | 18. | | 6. Isabelle Marmet |  FRA | 5:21.80 | 20. |
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