| Final | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Debbie Meyer | USA | 4:31.8 | 1. | | 2. Linda Gustavson | USA | 4:35.5 | 3. | | 3. Karen Moras | AUS | 4:37.0 | 2. | | 4. Pam Kruse | USA | 4:37.2 | 5. | | 5. Gabriele Wetzko | GDR | 4:40.2 | 7. | | 6. María Teresa Ramírez | MEX | 4:42.2 | 4. | | 7. Angela Coughlan | CAN | 4:51.9 | 6. | | 8. Elisabeth Ljunggren-Morris | SWE | 4:53.8 | 8. |
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| Heat 1 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. María Teresa Ramírez | MEX | 4:43.9 | 4. | | 2. Gabriele Wetzko | GDR | 4:49.8 | 7. | | 3. Laura Vaca | MEX | 4:53.3 | 11. | | 4. Helen Elliott | PHI | 4:59.9 | 16. | | 5. Shen Bao-Ni | TWN | 5:41.8 | 29. |
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| Heat 2 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Debbie Meyer | USA | 4:35.0 | 1. | | 2. Norma Amezcua | MEX | 5:00.5 | 17. | | 3. Dominique Mollier | FRA | 5:00.5 | 17. | | 4. Sheila Clayton | GBR | 5:08.0 | 23. |
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| Heat 3 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Pam Kruse | USA | 4:45.2 | 5. | | 2. Marjatta Hara | FIN | 4:53.0 | 10. | | 3. Olga de Angulo | COL | 5:08.6 | 24. | | 4. Sally Davison | GBR | 5:11.2 | 25. | | 5. Lylian Castillo | URU | 5:30.2 | 28. | | 6. Lorna Blake | PUR | 5:54.7 | 30. |
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| Heat 4 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Linda Gustavson | USA | 4:41.4 | 3. | | 2. Marie-José Kersaudy | FRA | 4:57.3 | 12. | | 3. Kristina Moir | PUR | 4:57.7 | 13. | | 4. Susan Williams | GBR | 5:02.7 | 21. | | 5. Emilia Figueroa | URU | 5:21.0 | 26. |
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| Heat 5 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Karen Moras | AUS | 4:39.6 | 2. | | 2. Elisabeth Ljunggren-Morris | SWE | 4:51.6 | 8. | | 3. Novella Calligaris | ITA | 4:59.4 | 15. | | 4. Consuelo Changanaqui | PER | 5:02.9 | 22. | | 5. Silvana Asturias | GUA | 5:25.6 | 27. |
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