Heats

First 2 from each heat (Q) and the net 2 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.

Rank	Heat	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	1	Natalya Bochina	Soviet Union	52.95	Q
2	1	Erica Rossi	Italy	53.04	Q
3	3	Jarmila Kratochvílová	Czechoslovakia	53.25	Q
4	3	Verona Elder	Great Britain	53.69	Q
5	2	Karoline Käfer	Austria	53.75	Q
6	1	Rita Daimer	West Germany	53.87	q
7	2	Sophie Malbranque	France	54.10	Q
8	3	Sylvie Revaux	France	54.55	q
9	1	Marie-Christine Champenois	France	54.59
10	2	Liliya Tuznikova	Soviet Union	55.05

Semifinals

First 3 from each semifinal qualified directly (Q) for the final.

Rank	Heat	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	2	Jarmila Kratochvílová	Czechoslovakia	52.04	Q
2	2	Karoline Käfer	Austria	52.56	Q
3	1	Verona Elder	Great Britain	52.80	Q
4	2	Erica Rossi	Italy	52.81
5	1	Natalya Bochina	Soviet Union	53.20	Q
6	2	Sylvie Revaux	France	54.01
7	1	Sophie Malbranque	France	54.59
8	1	Rita Daimer	West Germany	54.61

Final

Rank	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
	Jarmila Kratochvílová	Czechoslovakia	50.07	CR
	Natalya Bochina	Soviet Union	52.32	AJR
	Verona Elder	Great Britain	52.37
4	Karoline Käfer	Austria	52.50