| Final 19.40h | time | | 1. Carla Sacramento |  POR | 4:04.24 | | 2. Regina Jacobs |  USA | 4:04.63 | | 3. Anita Weyermann |  SUI | 4:04.70 | | 4. Maite Zuniga |  ESP | 4:04.80 | | 5. Leah Pells |  CAN | 4:06.18 | | 6. Andrea Suldesova |  CZE | 4:06.33 | | 7. Olga Nelyubova |  RUS | 4:07.34 | | 8. Sonia O'Sullivan |  IRL | 4:07.81 | | 9. Kutre Dulecha |  ETH | 4:08.15 | | 10.Malin Ewerlof |  SWE | 4:08.68 | | 11.Robyn Meagher | CAN | 4:10.83 | | 12.Malgorzata Rydz |  POL | 4:13.25 |
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| Heat 1 20.35h | time | | 1. Olga Nelyubova | RUS | 4:04.67 | | 2. Carla Sacramento | POR | 4:04.69 | | 3. Regina Jacobs | USA | 4:04.97 | | 4. Sonia O'Sullivan | IRL | 4:05.31 | | 5. Anita Weyermann | SUI | 4:05.71 | | 6. Maite Zuniga | ESP | 4:06.66 | | 7. Malgorzata Rydz | POL | 4:06.86 | | 8. Kathy Butler | CAN | 4:07.68 | | 9. Natalya Ivanova |  UKR | 4:10.39 | | 10.Patricia Djate-Taillard |  FRA | 4:10.85 | | 11.Joanne Pavey |  GBR | 4:11.22 | | 12.Carmen Wustenhagen |  GER | 4:15.08 |
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| Heat 1 20.45h | time | | 1. Malin Ewerlof | SWE | 4:06.75 | | 2. Leah Pells | CAN | 4:06.76 | | 3. Kutre Dulecha | ETH | 4:06.90 | | 4. Andrea Suldesova | CZE | 4:07.02 | | 5. Robyn Meagher | CAN | 4:07.06 | | 6. Suzy Hamilton | USA | 4:07.19 | | 7. Sinead Delahunty | IRL | 4:07.46 | | 8. Theresia Kiesl |  AUT | 4:07.89 | | 9. Margaret Crowley |  AUS | 4:10.37 | | 10.Margarita Marusova | RUS | 4:14.98 | | 11.Frederique Quentin | FRA | 4:16.15 | | 12.Svetlana Masterkova | RUS | 4:22.74 |
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| Heat 1 9.00h | time | | 1. Sonia O'Sullivan | IRL | 4:08.90 | | 2. Olga Nelyubova | RUS | 4:09.02 | | 3. Leah Pells | CAN | 4:09.25 | | 4. Malin Ewerlof | SWE | 4:09.28 | | 5. Carmen Wustenhagen | GER | 4:09.34 | | 6. Frederique Quentin | FRA | 4:11.10 | | 7. Karolina Skourti |  GRE | 4:11.88 | | 8. Nouria Merah-Benida |  ALG | 4:12.21 | | 9. Sarah Thorsett | USA | 4:17.07 | | 10.Samira Raif |  MAR | 4:19.54 | | -. Kelly Holmes | GBR | DNF |
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| Heat 2 9.09h | time | | 1. Kutre Dulecha | ETH | 4:07.70 | | 2. Regina Jacobs | USA | 4:07.90 | | 3. Maite Zuniga | ESP | 4:08.09 | | 4. Theresia Kiesl | AUT | 4:08.13 | | 5. Joanne Pavey | GBR | 4:08.23 | | 6. Anita Weyermann | SUI | 4:08.30 | | 7. Margarita Marusova | RUS | 4:08.45 | | 8. Kathy Butler | CAN | 4:08.87 | | 9. Andrea Suldesova | CZE | 4:09.49 | | 10.Tatyana Belovol | UKR | 4:12.17 | | 11.Helena Javornik |  SLO | 4:16.21 | | -. Natalia Al Farran |  LIB | DNS |
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| Heat 3 9.18h | time | | 1. Suzy Hamilton | USA | 4:10.12 | | 2. Carla Sacramento | POR | 4:10.13 | | 3. Malgorzata Rydz | POL | 4:10.17 | | 4. Svetlana Masterkova | RUS | 4:10.22 | | 5. Margaret Crowley | AUS | 4:10.23 | | 6. Patricia Djate-Taillard | FRA | 4:10.37 | | 7. Robyn Meagher | CAN | 4:10.44 | | 8. Sinead Delahunty | IRL | 4:10.45 | | 9. Natalya Ivanova | UKR | 4:10.79 | | 10.Sylvia Kuhnemund | GER | 4:11.21 | | 11.Monika Ronnholm-Kinnunen |  FIN | 4:11.71 | | 12.Shura Hotesa | ETH | 4:21.27 |
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