| 1 | Berhane Adere | ETH | 8:53,64 | Q | |
| 2 | Galina Bogomolova | RUS | 8:55,72 | Q | |
| 3 | Benita Johnson | AUS | 8:57,08 | Q | |
| 4 | Zahra Ouaziz | MAR | 8:57,21 | Q | |
| 5 | Hayley Tullett | GBR | 9:00,13 | q | |
| 6 | Amaia Piedra | ESP | 9:03,41 | q | |
| 7 | Wioletta Janowska | POL | 9:09,27 | ||
| 8 | Livia Toth | HUN | 9:10,95 | ||
| 9 | Maria Martins | FRA | 9:12,48 | ||
| 10 | Dina Judith Cruz Velasquez | GUA | 9:56,67 | NR | |
| Collette Liss | USA | DNF |
| 1 | Meseret Defar | ETH | 8:49,80 | Q | |
| 2 | Maria Cristina Grosu | ROM | 8:51,58 | Q | |
| 3 | Marta Dominguez | ESP | 8:51,97 | Q | |
| 4 | Zhor El Kamch | MAR | 8:52,31 | Q | |
| 5 | Maria Tsirba | GRE | 8:52,70 | q | NR |
| 6 | Susanne Pumper | AUT | 9:02,98 | q | |
| 7 | Maria McCambridge | IRL | 9:03,68 | ||
| 8 | Katie McGregor | USA | 9:06,30 | ||
| 9 | Yelena Sidorchenkova | RUS | 9:13,51 | ||
| 10 | Korene Hinds | JAM | 9:15,18 |