| 1 | Doina Melinte | ROM | 4:09,95 | Q |
| 2 | Sandra Gasser | SUI | 4:10,93 | Q |
| 3 | Ludmilla Rogachova | URS | 4:11,17 | Q |
| 4 | Montserrat Pujol | ESP | 4:14,51 | q |
| 5 | Véronique Pontgérard | FRA | 4:15,23 | q |
| 6 | Lynne Macintyre | GBR | 4:22,79 |
| 1 | Violeta Beclea | ROM | 4:20,58 | Q |
| 2 | Diane Edwards | GBR | 4:20,77 | Q |
| 3 | Natalya Artyomova | URS | 4:21,45 | Q |
| 4 | Malgorzata Rydz | POL | 4:22,75 | |
| 5 | Irini Theodoridou | GRE | 4:26,55 |