| Final | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Gail Neall | AUS | 5:02.97 | 6. | | 2. Leslie Cliff | CAN | 5:03.57 | 3. | | 3. Novella Calligaris | ITA | 5:03.99 | 5. | | 4. Jenny Bartz | USA | 5:05.56 | 2. | | 5. Evelyn Stolze | GDR | 5:06.80 | 1. | | 6. Mary Montgomery | USA | 5:09.98 | 8. | | 7. Lynn Vidali | USA | 5:13.06 | 4. | | 8. Nina Petrova | URS | 5:15.68 | 7. |
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| Heat 1 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Gail Neall | AUS | 5:11.89 | 6. | | 2. Susan Hunter | NZL | 5:14.47 | 9. | | 3. Jaroslava Slavíčková | TCH | 5:18.53 | 14. | | 4. Birutė Užkuraititė | URS | 5:20.05 | 16. | | 5. Helga Niemann | FRG | 5:21.97 | 20. | | 6. Shelagh Ratcliffe | GBR | 5:24.27 | 25. | | 7. Helmi Boxberger | FRG | 5:32.31 | 34. | | 8. Silvia Borgini | ARG | 5:44.22 | 38. |
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| Heat 2 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Hennie Penterman | NED | 5:14.99 | 11. | | 2. Marlies Pohl | GDR | 5:15.38 | 13. | | 3. Jennifer McHugh | CAN | 5:20.25 | 17. | | 4. Debbie Bengtson | CAN | 5:21.62 | 19. | | 5. Eva Sigg | FIN | 5:22.92 | 22. | | 6. Karen Moras | AUS | 5:24.13 | 24. | | 7. Kirsten Strange-Campbell | DEN | 5:25.97 | 30. |
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| Heat 3 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Lynn Vidali | USA | 5:09.67 | 4. | | 2. Novella Calligaris | ITA | 5:11.16 | 5. | | 3. Gerda Lassooij | NED | 5:22.09 | 21. | | 4. Maria Isabel Guerra | BRA | 5:24.43 | 26. | | 5. Trine Krogh | NOR | 5:25.08 | 28. | | 6. Diana Walker | GBR | 5:28.82 | 31. | | 7. Eleni Avlonitou | GRE | 5:32.49 | 35. | | 8. Mottoulle Béatrice | BEL | 5:35.38 | 36. |
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| Heat 4 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Evelyn Stolze | GDR | 5:06.96 | 1. | | 2. Jenny Bartz | USA | 5:07.31 | 2. | | 3. Nina Petrova | URS | 5:13.42 | 7. | | 4. Yukari Takemoto | JPN | 5:20.89 | 18. | | 5. Wijda Mazereeuw | NED | 5:24.00 | 23. | | 6. Laura Vaca | MEX | 5:24.63 | 27. | | 7. Roselina Angee | COL | 5:35.44 | 37. |
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| Heat 5 | Team | time | Rk. | | 1. Leslie Cliff | CAN | 5:08.64 | 3. | | 2. Mary Montgomery | USA | 5:13.62 | 8. | | 3. Angela Franke | GDR | 5:14.81 | 10. | | 4. Anita Zarnowiecki | SWE | 5:15.05 | 12. | | 5. Susan Richardson | GBR | 5:19.53 | 15. | | 6. Susanne Niesner | SUI | 5:25.23 | 29. | | 7. Gisela Cerezo | VEN | 5:29.56 | 32. | | 8. María del Rosaria Ballesteros | MEX | 5:31.06 | 33. |
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