| Final | | time | | | 1. Elżbieta Katolik |  Poland | 2:02.38 | AR | | 2. Gisela Ellenberger |  West Germany | 2:02.54 | NR | | 3. Gunhild Hoffmeister |  East Germany | 2:02.59 | NR | | 4. Rosemary Wright |  Great Britain | 2:05.19 | NR | | 5. Valentina Gerasimova |  Soviet Union | 2:10.76 | | | -. Lilyana Tomova-Todorova |  Bulgaria | DNF | |
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Heats - Saturday, 9th March | | First 3 from each Heat advanced to Final. |
| Heat 1 | | time | | | 2. Gisela Ellenberger | West Germany | 2:04.31 | Q | | 4. Lilyana Tomova-Todorova | Bulgaria | 2:05.34 | Q | | 6. Valentina Gerasimova | Soviet Union | 2:06.10 | Q | | 8. Anita Barkusky | East Germany | 2:07.63 | | | 10.Jolanta Januchta | Poland | 2:11.67 | | | 11.Åse Svinsholt |  Norway | 2:13.75 | | | -. Nikolina Shtereva | Bulgaria | DNF | |
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| Heat 2 | | time | | | 1. Elżbieta Katolik | Poland | 2:04.05 | Q | | 3. Gunhild Hoffmeister | East Germany | 2:05.26 | Q | | 5. Rosemary Wright | Great Britain | 2:05.90 | Q, NR | | 7. Gunilla Lindh |  Sweden | 2:07.49 | | | 9. Rositsa Pekhlivanova | Bulgaria | 2:10.63 | | | -. Nijolė Razienė | Soviet Union | DNF | |
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