| POS | Rank | Heat | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | RESULTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | PattiSue Plumer |
USA |
4:05.08 Q | |
| 1 | 2 | Hassiba Boulmerka |
ALG |
4:08.20 Q | |
| 9 | 3 | Suzy Favor Hamilton |
USA |
4:15.54 | |
| 2 | Sandra Gasser |
SUI |
DNF | ||
| 12 | 3 | Edith Nakiyingi |
UGA |
4:25.43 | |
| 1 | 1 | Susan Sirma |
KEN |
4:04.94 Q | |
| 5 | 2 | Christina Boxer-Cahill |
GBR |
4:09.01 | |
| 13 | 1 | Lijuan Zheng |
CHN |
4:14.95 | |
| 11 | 3 | Tuuli Merikoski-Silius |
FIN |
4:17.57 | |
| 7 | 2 | Ivana Kubesova |
TCH |
4:14.69 | |
| 4 | 3 | Malgorzata Rydz |
POL |
4:09.31 Q | |
| 2 | 1 | Debbie Scott-Bowker |
CAN |
4:05.07 Q | |
| 6 | 2 | Darcy LANGE |
USA |
4:13.08 | |
| 10 | 3 | Jana Kucerikova |
TCH |
4:15.69 | |
| 12 | 1 | Snezana Pajkic |
YUG |
4:14.20 | |
| 4 | 2 | Elena Fidatov |
ROU |
4:08.81 Q | |
| 6 | 1 | Yvonne Mai-Graham |
GER |
4:06.09 q | |
| 5 | 3 | Gabriella Dorio |
ITA |
4:09.34 | |
| 7 | 3 | Karin Medin |
SWE |
4:11.23 | |
| 2 | Ana Isabel Elias |
ANG |
DNS | ||
| 9 | 1 | Christine Pfitzinger |
NZL |
4:08.43 | |
| 12 | 2 | Angelina Mantokoane Pitso |
LES |
4:42.79 | |
| 4 | 1 | Ravilya Agletdinova-Kotovich |
URS |
4:05.53 Q | |
| 3 | Pauline Konga |
KEN |
DNS | ||
| 2 | 3 | Ellen Kiessling |
GER |
4:09.23 Q | |
| 2 | 2 | Lyudmila Rogachova |
URS |
4:08.34 Q | |
| 5 | 1 | Violeta Beclea-Szekely |
ROU |
4:05.77 q | |
| 3 | 3 | Tatyana Samolenko-Dorovskikh |
URS |
4:09.25 Q | |
| 8 | 2 | Leah Pells |
CAN |
4:14.82 | |
| 8 | 1 | Yvonne van der Kolk |
NED |
4:07.39 | |
| 10 | 1 | Khin Khin Htwe |
MYA |
4:12.21 | |
| 1 | 3 | Doina Melinte |
ROU |
4:08.78 Q | |
| 11 | 2 | Bigna Samuel |
VIN |
4:29.42 | |
| 1 | Dawn Williams-Sewer |
DMA |
DNS | ||
| 6 | 3 | Irini Theodoridou |
GRE |
4:11.14 | |
| 3 | 2 | Letitia Vriesde |
SUR |
4:08.46 Q | |
| 10 | 2 | Veronique Pongerard |
FRA |
4:16.87 | |
| 11 | 1 | Estela Estevez |
ESP |
4:13.93 | |
| 8 | 3 | Robyn Meagher |
CAN |
4:12.47 | |
| 7 | 1 | Kirsty McDermott |
GBR |
4:07.22 q | |
| 9 | 2 | Aisling Molloy |
IRL |
4:16.61 | |
| 13 | 3 | Rosalie Bague Peng Gangue |
CHA |
4:54.41 |