Hellmann (née Opitz) became the first athlete to retain a world title. She did so emphatically: with the first throw of the final, she set a championship record of 71.08. This she improved to 71.62 in the fourth round. The only other 70m throw of the contest was by Gansky in the third.
The GDR filled three of the first four places, with world junior record holder Wyludda in fourth spot. World senior record holder Šilhavá placed sixth, just as she had in Helsinki.