Final | time | | 1. Maricica Puică | Romania | 8:35.96 | OR | 2. Wendy Sly | Great Britain | 8:39.47 | | 3. Lynn Williams | Canada | 8:42.14 | | 4. Cindy Bremser | United States | 8:42.78 | | 5. Cornelia Bürki | Switzerland | 8:45.20 | | 6. Aurora Cunha | Portugal | 8:46.37 | | 7. Zola Budd | Great Britain | 8:48.80 | | 8. Joan Hansen | United States | 8:51.53 | | 9. Dianne Rodger | New Zealand | 8.56.43 | | 10.Agnese Possamai | Italy | 9.10.82 | | -. Brigitte Kraus | West Germany | DNF | | -. Mary Decker | United States | DNF | |
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| Venue: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 100,000. 31 competitors from -- nations. |
Round | H | Ath | date | Heats | 3 | 31 | -1.08 |
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| First 3 from each Heat and Best 3 times advanced to Final. |
Heat 1 | time | | 1. Mary Decker | United States | 8.44.38 | OR | 2. Lynn Williams | Canada | 8.45.77 | | 3. Agnese Possamai | Italy | 8.45.84 | | 4. Aurora Cunha | Portugal | 8.46.38 | | 5. Dianne Rodger | New Zealand | 8.47.90 | | 6. Jane Furniss | Great Britain | 8.48.00 | | 7. Hellen Kimaiyo | Kenya | 8.57.21 | | 8. Roisin Smyth | Ireland | 9.01.69 | | 9. Raida Abdallah | Jordan | 10.48.00 | | -. Helen Ritter | Liechtenstain | DNS | |
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Heat 2 | time | | 1. Brigitte Kraus | West Germany | 8:57.53 | | 2. Joan Hansen | United States | 8:58.64 | | 3. Wendy Sly | Great Britain | 8:58.66 | | 4. Maria Machado | Portugal | 9.01.77 | | 5. Donna Gould | Australia | 9.05.56 | | 6. Eva Ernström | Sweden | 9.06.54 | | 7. Annette Sergent | France | 9.15.82 | | 8. Sue French | Canada | 9.24.66 | | 9. Liliana Gongora | Argentina | 9.41.14 | | 10.Hwinga Mwanjala | Tanzania | 9.42.66 | |
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Heat 3 | time | | 1. Maricica Puică | Romania | 8:43.32 | Or | 2. Cindy Bremser | United States | 8:43.97 | | 3. Zola Budd | Great Britain | 8:44.62 | | 4. Cornelia Bürki | Switzerland | 8:45.82 | | 5. Monica Joyce | Ireland | 8:54.34 | | 6. Geri Fitch | Canada | 9.07.18 | | 7. Marie-Jane Mukamurenzi | RWA | 9.27.08 | | 8. Geeta Zutshi | India | 9.40.63 | | 9. Kriscia Lorena García | El Salvador | 9.42.28 | | -. Monica Regonesi | Chile | DNF | | -. Rosa Mota | Portugal | DNF | |
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