| 1 | Gisela Ellenberger | FRG | 2:04,31 | Q |
| 2 | Lilyana Todorova | BUL | 2:05,34 | Q |
| 3 | Valentina Gerasimova | URS | 2:06,10 | Q |
| 4 | Anita Barkusky | GDR | 2:07,63 | |
| 5 | Jolanta Januchta | POL | 2:11,67 | |
| 6 | Åse Svinsholt | NOR | 2:13,75 | |
| Nikolina Shtereva | BUL | DNF |
| 1 | Elzbieta Katolik | POL | 2:04,05 | Q | |
| 2 | Gunhild Hoffmeister | GDR | 2:05,26 | Q | |
| 3 | Rosemary Wright | GBR | 2:05,90 | Q | NR |
| 4 | Gunilla Lindh | SWE | 2:07,49 | ||
| 5 | Rositza Pechlivanova | BUL | 2:10,63 | ||
| Niole Raziene | URS | DNF |