| 1 | Sandra Mayers | ESP | 52,16 | Q |
| 2 | Jearl Miles | USA | 52,43 | Q |
| 3 | Ludmilla Dshigalova | URS | 52,68 | Q |
| 4 | Vivienne Spencer-Gardener | JAM | 52,84 | |
| 5 | Rosey Edeh | CAN | 54,51 | |
| Noemi Batori | HUN | DNF |
| 1 | Diane Dixon | USA | 51,97 | Q |
| 2 | Aelita Yurchenko | URS | 52,14 | Q |
| 3 | Anita Protti | SUI | 52,18 | Q |
| 4 | Kathrin Schreiter | GER | 53,05 | |
| 5 | Jolanda Oanta | ROM | 53,40 | |
| 6 | Julia Moreno | ESP | 53,51 |