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 second hurdle, Strickland had gained an advantage over Cooke while Gisela Köhler was facing competition from her in lane 2 next to her. By the subsequent barrier, Köhler had some space between herself and second place, while Galina Bystrova and Norma Thrower were vying for bronze in lanes 4 and 5 respectively. By the seventh hurdle, Strickland had a full metre on Köhler.