By the second barrier, Strickland had edged ahead while Cooke was getting competition from Gisela Köhler in lane 2 next to her. By the next barrier, Köhler had some separation in second, while Galina Bystrova and Norma Thrower we battling for bronze in 4 and 5 respectively. By the seventh hurdle, Strickland had a full metre on Köhler.
By the time Strickland reached the second barrier, she was ahead of Cooke while Gisela Köhler faced stiff competition from her in lane 2. As the race progressed, Köhler gained some separation from second place, with Galina Bystrova and Norma Thrower competing fiercely for bronze medals. By the seventh hurdle, Strickland had a clear advantage over Köhler.