The final and the qualifying heats of the women's 800 metres freestyle event at the 1997 FINA Short Course World Championships were held on the second day of the competition, on Friday 18 April 1997 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
| RANK | FINAL A | TIME | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:26.45 | |||
| 8:28.10 | |||
| 8:28.96 | |||
| 4. | 8:29.27 | ||
| 5. | 8:33.40 | ||
| 6. | 8:34.37 | ||
| 7. | 8:34.74 | ||
| 8. | 8:37.66 |
| RANK | NON-QUALIFIERS | TIME | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9. | 8:39.72 | ||
| 10. | 8:39.78 | ||
| 11. | 8:44.72 | ||
| 12. | 8:45.61 | ||
| 13. | 8:47.36 | ||
| 14. | 8:47.74 | ||
| 15. | 8:50.18 | ||
| 16. | 8:56.87 | ||
| 17. | 8:57.08 | ||
| 18. | 8:58.68 |