| Women 100m Backstroke Swimming III World Championship 1978 West Berlin - Tuesday, 22nd August - Gold Medal: Linda Jezek, United States | 
| Final |   | time |   | gap | L | ag | 50m |  | 1. Linda Jezek |   United States | 1:02.55 | CR |   | 4 | 18 | 30.08s  |  | 2. Birgit Treiber |   East Germany | 1:03.18 |   | +0.63s | 5 | 18 | 30.75s  |  | 3. Cheryl Gibson |   Canada | 1:03.43 |   | +0.88s | 3 | 19 | 30.50s  |  | 4. Monique Bosga |   Netherlands | 1:03.86 | NR | +1.31s | 7 | 17 | 30.67s  |  | 5. Sue Walsh |   United States | 1:04.11 |   | +1.56s | 6 | 16 | 30.33s  |  | 6. Antje Stille |   East Germany | 1:04.45 |   | +1.90s | 2 | 16 | 31.65s  |  | 7. Carmen Bunaciu |   Romania | 1:04.53 |   | +1.98s | 8 | 16 | 31.12s  |  | 8. Carine Verbauwen |   Belgium | 1:04.99 |   | +2.44s | 1 | 16 | 31.54s  |   
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| World Record: Ulrike Richter, East Germany 1:01.51 (29.5s) |  | Championship Record: Ulrike Richter, East Germany 1:03.30 (30.28s) 1975 |   
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 Heats - Tuesday, 22nd August |  | Best 8 times advanced to Final>.  |   
| Heat 4 |   | time |   | gap | L | ag | Rk |  | 2. Birgit Treiber |   East Germany | 1:03.49 |   | +0.27s | - | 18 | 1. |  | 3. Cheryl Gibson |   Canada | 1:03.70 |   | +0.48s | - | 19 | 2. |  | 10.Gabriella Verraszto |   Hungary | 1:05.02 |   | +1.80s | - | 16 | 3. |   
| Heat 3 |   | time |   | gap | L | ag | Rk |  | 1. Linda Jezek |   United States | 1:03.22 |   | - | - | 18 | 1. |  | 7. Carine Verbauwen |   Belgium | 1:04.92 |   | +1.70s | - | 16 | 2. |  | 9. Agnes Fodor |   Hungary | 1:04.99 |   | +1.77s | - | 14 | 3. |  | 12.Diane Edelijn |   Netherlands | 1:05.18 |   | +1.96s | - | 18 | 5. |   
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| Heat 2 |   | time |   | gap | L | ag | Rk |  | 5. Antje Stille |   East Germany | 1:04.63 |   | +1.41s | - | 16 | 1. |  | 8. Carmen Bunaciu |   Romania | 1:04.95 |   | +1.73s | - | 16 | 2. |  | 14.Helene Boivin |   Canada | 1:05.31 |   | +2.09s | - | 19 | 3. |   
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| Heat 1 |   | time |   | gap | L | ag | Rk |  | 4. Sue Walsh |   United States | 1:04.36 |   | +1.14s | - | 16 | 1. |  | 6. Monique Bosga |   Netherlands | 1:04.85 |   | +1.63s | - | 17 | 2. |  | 13.Debra Forster |   Australia | 1:05.19 |   | +1.97s | - | _ | 3. |   
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| Heat - |   | time |   | gap | L | ag | Rk  |  | 11.Yelena Kruglova |   Soviet Union | 1:05.09 |   | +1.87s | - | 16 |   |  | 15.Ute Neubert |   West Germany | 1:05.82 |   | +2.60s | - | _ |   |  | 15.Kaire Indrikson |   Soviet Union | 1:05.82 |   | +2.60s | - | 17 |   |  | 17.Joy Beasley |   Great Britain | 1:05.83 | NR | +2.61s | - | 16 |   |  | 18.Heike John |   West Germany | 1:05.84 |   | +2.62s | - | 18 |   |  | 19.Lisa Forrest |   Australia | 1:06.56 |   | +3.34s | - | 14 |   |  | 20.Helen Gilyard |   Great Britain | 1:06.76 |   | +3.54s | - | _ |   |  | 21.Tina Gustafsson |   Sweden | 1:06.81 |   | +3.59s | - | 15 |   |  | 22.Hisae Asari |   Japan | 1:07.13 |   | +3.91s | - | _ |   |  | 23.Andrea Hawcridge |   New Zealand | 1:07.44 |   | +4.22s | - | _ |   |  | 24.Melanie Jones |   New Zealand | 1:07.62 |   | +4.40s | - | _ |   |  | 25.Teresa Rivera |   Mexico | 1:08.71 | NR | +5.49s | - | 12 |   |  | 26.Maria Paris |   Costa Rica | 1:09.33 |   | +6.11s | - | 17 |   |  | 27.Kristiina Salminen |   Finland | 1:09.87 |   | +6.65s | - | _ |   |  | 28.Claudia Bellotto |   Argentina | 1:10.53 |   | +7.31s | - | 18 |   |  | -. Myriam Mizouni |   Tunisia | DNS |   | - | - | 19 |   |   
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