| 1 | Doina Melinte | ROM | 4:11,74 | Q |
| 2 | Ivana Kubesova | TCH | 4:11,95 | Q |
| 3 | Yvonne Mai | GER | 4:12,04 | Q |
| 4 | Gina Procaccio | USA | 4:12,17 | Q |
| 5 | Josephine White | GBR | 4:12,39 | q |
| 6 | Veronique Pongerard | FRA | 4:14,30 | |
| Lyubov Kremlyova | URS | DNF |
| 1 | Tudorita Chidu | ROM | 4:09,27 | Q |
| 2 | Alisa Hill | USA | 4:09,45 | Q |
| 3 | Ludmilla Rogacheva | URS | 4:09,48 | Q |
| 4 | Ellen Kießling | GER | 4:10,23 | Q |
| 5 | Yvonne van der Kolk | NED | 4:10,40 | q |
| 6 | Jo Derinh | GBR | 4:13,10 | |
| 7 | Leah Pells | CAN | 4:20,00 |