| Final | time | gap | | 1. Larisa Gorchakova |  Soviet Union | 2:15.37 | | | 2. Carmen Bonaciu |  Romania | 2:15.96 | +0.59s | | 3. Susan Walsh |  United States | 2:16.41 | +1.04s | | 4. Darci Bodner | Unted States | 2:18.64 | +3.27s | | 5. Melinda Copp |  Canada | 2:20.90 | +5.53s | | 6. Aline Larouche | Canada | 2:22.49 | +7.12s | | 7. Lisa Dedman |  Australia | 2:22.71 | +7.34s | | 8. Daphne Demuth |  Netherlands | 2:24.72 | +9.35s |
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Heats - Thursday, 7th July |
| Heat 1 | time | Rk | | 1. Larisa Gorchakova | Soviet Union | 2:17.88 | 1. | | 2. Darci Bodner | Unted States | 2:18.65 | 2. | | 3. Melinda Copp | Canada | 2:21.91 | 5. | | 4. Lisa Dedman | Australia | 2:23.53 | 7. | | 5. Helen Jameson |  Great Britain | 2:25.00 | 9. | | 6. Jin-Ah |  China | 2:29.67 | 10. |
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| Heat 1 | time | Rk | | 1. Susan Walsh | United States | 2:19.32 | 3. | | 2. Carmen Bonaciu | Romania | 2:19.65 | 4. | | 3. Aline Larouche | Canada | 2:23.25 | 6. | | 4. Daphne Demuth | Netherlands | 2:24.15 | 8. | | 5. Linai Vaz |  Brazil | 2:31.59 | 11. | | 6. Mie Hirata |  Japan | 2:33.03 | 12. |
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