| POS | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | MARK | Reaction Time | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tatyana Alekseyeva |  RUS | 50.88 Q | |
| 2 | Sandie Richards |  JAM | 51.01 Q | |
| 3 | Naděžda Koštovalová |  CZE | 52.69 | |
| 4 | Elsa Devassoigne |  FRA | 52.81 | |
| 5 | Regula Zürcher-Scalabrin |  SUI | 52.84 | |
| 6 | Guilhermina Da Cruz |  ANG | 55.34 | |
| 7 | Kaltouma Nadjina |  CHA | 59.76 | 
| POS | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | MARK | Reaction Time | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Natasha Kaiser-Brown |  USA | 51.80 Q | |
| 2 | Yelena Ruzina |  RUS | 52.23 Q | |
| 3 | Linda Keough |  GBR | 52.61 q | |
| 4 | Dora Kyriakou |  CYP | 54.49 | |
| 5 | Lorie Ann Adams |  GUY | 55.54 | |
| 6 | Shermaine Ross |  GRN | 55.80 | |
| 7 | Yaznee Nasheeda |  MDV | 1:07.87 | |
| Ruth Mangue Nve |  GEQ | DNS | 
| POS | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | MARK | Reaction Time | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ximena Restrepo |  COL | 51.59 Q | |
| 2 | Sandra Myers |  ESP | 51.77 Q | |
| 3 | Aelita Yurchenko |  UKR | 52.22 q | |
| 4 | Noodang Pimpo |  THA | 54.01 | |
| 5 | Denise Ouabangui |  CAF | 57.18 | |
| 6 | Lasnet Nkouka |  CGO | 57.95 | |
| Grace Birungi |  UGA | DNS | 
| POS | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | MARK | Reaction Time | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norfalia Carabali |  COL | 51.65 Q | |
| 2 | Juliet Campbell |  JAM | 51.76 Q | |
| 3 | Michelle Collins |  USA | 52.03 q | |
| 4 | Aissatou Tandian |  SEN | 52.59 q | |
| 5 | Yana Burtasenkova |  MDA | 53.12 | |
| 6 | Manda Kanouté |  MLI | 55.72 | |
| 7 | Rachelle Godonou |  BEN | 1:03.39 | 
| POS | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | MARK | Reaction Time | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jearl Miles Clark |  USA | 51.24 Q | |
| 2 | Inez Turner |  JAM | 52.04 Q | |
| 3 | Anja Rücker |  GER | 52.10 q | |
| 4 | Francine Landre |  FRA | 52.53 q | |
| 5 | Camille Noel |  CAN | 53.11 | |
| 6 | Mary-Estelle Kapalu |  VAN | 56.06 | |
| 7 | Mirna El-Laz |  LBN | 59.76 | |
| Lyudmila Dzhigalova |  UKR | DNS |