| Final | time | | 1. Mary Decker-Slaney |  USA | 8:34.62 | | 2. Brigitte Kraus |  FRG | 8:35.11 | | 3. Tatyana Kazankina |  URS | 8:35.13 | | 4. Svetlana Ulmasova | URS | 8:35.55 | | 5. Wendy Smith-Sly |  GBR | 8:37.06 | | 6. Agnese Possamai |  ITA | 8:37.96 | | 7. Jane Furniss-Shields | GBR | 8:45.69 | | 8. Natalya Artyomova | URS | 8:47.98 | | 9. Aurora Cunha |  POR | 8:50.20 | | 10.Lynn Kanuka-Williams |  CAN | 8:50.20 | | 11.Cornelia Burki |  SUI | 8:53.85 | | 12.Eva Ernstrom |  SWE | 8:57.59 | | 13.Christine Tranter-Benning | GBR | 8:58.01 | | 14.Lorraine Moller |  NZL | 9:02.19 | | 15.Alison Wiley | CAN | 9:15.35 |
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| Round | H | Athl. | Date | | Heats | 2 | 31 | 08.08 |
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| Heat 1 | time | | 1. Svetlana Ulmasova | URS | 8:46.65 | | 2. Agnese Possamai | ITA | 8:46.68 | | 3. Brigitte Kraus | FRG | 8:47.25 | | 4. Wendy Smith-Sly | GBR | 8:47.39 | | 5. Christine Tranter-Benning | GBR | 8:49.71 | | 6. Aurora Cunha | POR | 8:51.66 | | 7. Natalya Artyomova | URS | 8:54.14 | | 8. Lynn Kanuka-Williams | CAN | 8:54.61 | | 9. Geri Fitch | CAN | 9:01.85 | | 10.Monica Joyce |  IRL | 9:14.83 | | 11.Helena Hyvonen |  FIN | 9:19.65 | | 12.Brenda Webb | USA | 9:24.38 | | 13.Marcianne Mukamurenzi |  RWA | 9:26.59 | | 14.Marit Holtklimpen |  NOR | 9:43.40 | | 15.Khadija Al Matari |  JOR | 10:49.62 | | -. Betty Van Steenbroeck |  BEL | DNF |
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| Heat 2 | time | | 1. Tatyana Kazankina | URS | 8:44.72 | | 2. Mary Decker-Slaney | USA | 8:44.72 | | 3. Cornelia Burki | SUI | 8:46.94 | | 4. Jane Furniss-Shields | GBR | 8:48.59 | | 5. Alison Wiley | CAN | 8:51.27 | | 6. Lorraine Moller | NZL | 8:51.78 | | 7. Eva Ernstrom | SWE | 8:51.91 | | 8. Ivana Kleinova-Walterova-Kubesova |  TCH | 8:55.54 | | 9. Maggie Keyes-Kraft | USA | 9:01.97 | | 10.Vera Michallek | FRG | 9:04.51 | | 11.Marica Mrsic |  YUG | 9:05.59 | | 12.Pilar Fernandez |  ESP | 9:10.86 | | 13.Maria Radu |  ROM | 9:30.37 | | 14.Monica Regonessi |  CHI | 9:31.95 | | 15.Kriscia Garcia |  ESA | 10:06.14 |
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