| Final | time | | 1. Harald Schmid |  FRG | 47.48s | | 2. Aleksandr Yatsevich |  URS | 48.60s | | 3. Uwe Ackermann |  GDR | 48.64s | | 4. Vasiliy Arkhipenko | URS | 48.68s | | 5. Ryszard Szparak |  POL | 49.41s | | 6. Aleksandr Kharlov | URS | 49.56s | | 7. Sven Nylander |  SWE | 49.64s | | 8. Toma Tomov |  BUL | 50.10s |
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| | | First 4 progress to Final. |
| Heat 1 | time | | 1. Harald Schmid | FRG | 49.84s | | 2. Vasiliy Arkhipenko | URS | 49.98s | | 3. Sven Nylander | SWE | 50.03s | | 4. Toma Tomov | BUL | 50.10s | | 5. Franz Meier |  SUI | 50.33s | | 6. Michel Zimmermann |  BEL | 50.83s | | 7. Georgios Yamayakas |  GRE | 50.85s | | 8. José Alonso Valero |  ESP | 51.00s |
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| Heat 2 | time | | 1. Uwe Ackermann | GDR | 49.32s | | 2. Aleksandr Yatsevich | URS | 49.55s | | 3. Ryszard Szparak | POL | 49.79s | | 4. Aleksandr Kharlov | URS | 50.00s | | 5. Serge Guillen |  FRA | 50.40s | | 6. Saverio Gellini |  ITA | 50.59s | | 7. Christer Gullstrand | SWE | 50.61s | | 8. Krasimir Demirev | BUL | 51.45s |
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| Heat 1 | time | | 1. Harald Schmid | FRG | 49.25s | | 2. Serge Guillen | FRA | 50.07s | | 3. Vasiliy Arkhipenko | URS | 50.10s | | 4. Toma Tomov | BUL | 50.36s | | 5. Georgios Yamayakas | GRE | 50.84s | | 6. Marcelino Ruiz | ESP | 51.10s | | 7. Jose Carvalho |  POR | 51.35s | | 8. Istvan Simon Bala |  HUN | 51.61s |
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| Heat 2 | time | | 1. Uwe Ackermann | GDR | 49.48s | | 2. Aleksandr Kharlov | URS | 50.52s | | 3. Franz Meier | SUI | 50.68s | | 4. Michel Zimmermann | BEL | 50.71s | | 5. Christer Gullstrand | SWE | 50.75s | | 6. Krasimir Demirev | BUL | 50.95s |
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| Heat 3 | time | | 1. Ryszard Szparak | POL | 50.51s | | 2. Aleksandr Yatsevich | URS | 50.83s | | 3. Saverio Gellini | ITA | 51.27s | | 4. Sven Nylander | SWE | 51.40s | | 5. José Alonso Valero | ESP | 51.65s | | 6. Olivier Guy | FRA | 52.39s |
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