| | | Final | time | gap |  | 1. |  Soviet Union | 3:44.33 | GR |  | Vladimir Shemetov, Uriy Kris, Alexei Markovski, Sergei Smiryagin |  | 2. |  Canada | 3:46.49 | +2.16s |  | Mike West, Ken Fitzpatrick. Tom Ponting, Alex Baumann |  | 3. |  United States | 3:46.65 | +2.32s |  | 4. |  West Germany | 3:50.42 | +6.09s |  | 5. |  Italy | 3:55.83 | +11.50s |  | 6. |  Great Britain | 3:56.79 | +12.46s |  | 7. |  China | 3:59.54 | +15.21s |  | -. |  Jaapn | DSQ |  | 
  Games Record: Soviet Union 3:48.75 Bucuresti, Romania 1981  
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 | Heats - Thursday, 7th July | 
 | Heat 1 | time | Rk. |  | 1. |  United States | 3:51.11 | 1. |  | 2. |  Jaapn | 3:54.7. | 3. |  | 3. |  West Germany | 3:54.79 | 4. |  | 4. |  Great Britain | 2:59.98 | 6. |  | 5. |  Brazil | 4:01.32 | 9. |  | 6. |  Portugal | 4:13.97 | 13. |  | 7. |  Argentina | 4:20.51 | 15. | 
 | Heat 2 | time | Rk. |  | 1. |  Soviet Union | 3:52.54 | 2. |  | 2. |  Canada | 3:55.21 | 5. |  | Wade Flemons, John Clark, David Chirchill, Graham Welbourn |  | 3. |  China | 4:00.41 | 7. |  | 4. |  Italy | 4:00.88 | 8. |  | 5. |  Switzerland | 4:02.36 | 10. |  | 6. |  Austria | 4:03.22 | 11. |  | 7. |  Cuba | 4:10.76 | 12. |  | 8. |  Egypt | 4:15.62 | 14. | 
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