| POS | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | MARK | Reaction Time | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olga Vladykina-Bryzgina |  URS | 51.62 | |
| 2 | Sandie Richards |  JAM | 52.07 | |
| 3 | Charmaine Crooks |  CAN | 52.49 | |
| 4 | Francisca Chepkurui |  KEN | 53.21 | |
| 5 | Assumpta Achuo Bei |  CMR | 54.18 | |
| Kungu Bakombo |  COD | DNS | ||
| Pilavulakandi T. Usha |  IND | DNS | 
| POS | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | MARK | Reaction Time | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petra Schersing |  GDR | 51.68 | |
| 2 | Gisela Kinzel |  FRG | 52.34 | |
| 3 | Blanca Lacambra |  ESP | 52.46 | |
| 4 | Fabienne Ficher |  FRA | 52.59 | |
| 5 | Maria Usifo |  NGR | 53.64 | |
| 6 | Joycelin Joseph |  ANT | 55.61 | |
| 7 | Anna Cherry |  LCA | 57.20 | 
| POS | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | MARK | Reaction Time | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mariya Kulchunova-Pinigina |  URS | 51.38 | |
| 2 | Denean Howard-Hill |  USA | 52.06 | |
| 3 | Ute Thimm |  FRG | 52.48 | |
| 4 | Cathy Rattray-Williams |  JAM | 52.64 | |
| 5 | Mercy Addy |  GHA | 54.13 | |
| 6 | Diane Dunrod-Francis |  SKN | 57.64 | |
| Mariam Zewde |  ETH | DNF | 
| POS | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | MARK | Reaction Time | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dagmar Rübsam-Neubauer |  GDR | 51.96 | |
| 2 | Lillie Leatherwood |  USA | 52.16 | |
| 3 | Marita Payne-Wiggins |  CAN | 52.21 | |
| 4 | Josephine Mary Singarayar |  MAS | 54.56 | |
| 5 | Nadine Mbitoloum |  CHA | 1:01.71 | |
| Adina Valdez |  TTO | DNS | ||
| Nawal El Moutawakel |  MAR | DNS | 
| POS | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | MARK | Reaction Time | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jillian Richardson |  CAN | 51.94 | |
| 2 | Olga V. Nazarova |  URS | 52.04 | |
| 3 | Maria Magnólia Souza Figueiredo |  BRA | 52.29 | |
| 4 | Helga Arendt |  FRG | 52.80 | |
| 5 | Judit Forgács |  HUN | 53.15 | |
| 6 | Ester Petitón |  CUB | 54.50 | |
| 7 | Vanessa Barlow |  SAM | 1:01.53 | 
| POS | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | MARK | Reaction Time | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kirsten Siemon-Emmelmann |  GDR | 51.62 | |
| 2 | Diane Dixon |  USA | 51.72 | |
| 3 | Ilrey Oliver |  JAM | 53.59 | |
| 4 | Ruth Morris |  ISV | 56.36 | |
| Cosetta Campana |  ITA | DNS | ||
| Sharmila Ray Chakma |  BAN | DNS |