| 1 | Sabine Zwiener | FRG | 2:03,62 | Q |
| 2 | Lorraine Baker | GBR | 2:03,78 | Q |
| 3 | Ashling Molloy | IRL | 2:04,21 | q |
| 4 | Gabi Lesch | FRG | 2:04,79 | |
| 5 | Rosanna Morabito | ITA | 2:07,18 |
| 1 | Tudorita Chidu | ROM | 2:03,72 | Q |
| 2 | Lyubov Gurina | URS | 2:03,82 | Q |
| 3 | Ellen Kießling | GDR | 2:04,07 | q |
| 4 | Maite Zuniga | ESP | 2:05,26 | |
| 5 | Dawn Gandy | GBR | 2:05,44 | |
| 6 | Helen Thorpe | GBR | 2:07,08 |