| Final |   | time |   |  | 1. Henryk Szordykowski |   Poland | 3:41.4 | CR, NR |  | 2. Volodymyr Panteley |   Soviet Union | 3:41.5 | NR |  | 3. Gianni Del Buono |   Italy | 3:42.1 |   |  | 4. Ulf Högberg |   Sweden | 3:43.2 |   |  | 5. Mikhail Zhelobovskiy |   Soviet Union | 3:43.7 |   |  | 6. Frank Murphy |   Ireland | 3:44.3 |   |  | 7. Walter Wilkinson |   Great Britain | 3:46.9 |   |  | 8. Bram Wassenaar |   Netherlands | 3:48.1 |   |   
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 |   |  | First 3 from each Heat advanced to Final.  |   
| Heat 1 |   | time |   |  | 1. Gianni Del Buono |   Italy | 3:49.1 | Q |  | 2. Bram Wassenaar |   Netherlands | 3:49.7 | Q |  | 3. Henry Gustafsson |   Sweden | 3:52.0 |   |  | 4. José Maria Alonso |   Spain | 3:56.3 |   |  | 5. Mehmet Tümkan |   Turkey | 3:57.8 |   |  | 6. Edmond van Houwenis |   Belgium | 4:00.6 |   |   
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| Heat 2 |   | time |   |  | 1. Henryk Szordykowski |   Poland | 3:45.8 | Q |  | 2. Mikhail Zhelobovskiy |   Soviet Union | 3:45.9 | Q |  | 3. Pierre Toussaint |   France | 3:49.6 |   |  | 4. Haico Scharn |   Netherlands | 3:50.1 |   |  | 5. Pekka Vasala |   Finland | 3:52.1 |   |  | 6. Alberto Esteban |   Spain | 4:00.8 |   |   
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| 1. Volodymyr Panteley |   Soviet Union | 3:47.7 | Q |  | 2. Walter Wilkinson |   Great Britain | 3:49.0 | Q |  | 3. Jan Kondzior |   France | 3:50.4 |   |  | 4. Jože Međimurec |   Yugoslavia | 3:53.0 |   |  | 5. Spilios Zakharopoulos |   Greece | 3:53.3 |   |  | 6. Juan Borraz |   Spain | 3:57.2 |   |   
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| 1. Ulf Högberg |   Sweden | 3:46.0 | Q |  | 2. Frank Murphy |   Ireland | 3:46.2 | Q |  | 3. Jacky Boxberger |   France | 3:47.1 |   |  | 4. Edgard Salvé |   Belgium | 3:48.9 |   |  | 5. Ivan Kováč |   Czechoslovakia | 3:55.2 |   |  | 6. Nayden Petrov |   Bulgaria | 3:55.2 |   |   
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|  All Times |  | Final |   | time |   |  | 1. Henryk Szordykowski |   Poland | 3:41.4 | CR, NR |  | 2. Volodymyr Panteley |   Soviet Union | 3:41.5 | NR |  | 3. Gianni Del Buono |   Italy | 3:42.1 |   |  | 4. Ulf Högberg |   Sweden | 3:43.2 |   |  | 5. Mikhail Zhelobovskiy |   Soviet Union | 3:43.7 |   |  | 6. Frank Murphy |   Ireland | 3:44.3 |   |  | 7. Walter Wilkinson |   Great Britain | 3:46.9 |   |  | 8. Bram Wassenaar |   Netherlands | 3:48.1 |   |  | Heat 1 |   | time |   |  | Heat 2 |   | time |   |  | 1. Gianni Del Buono |   Italy | 3:49.1 | Q |  | 2. Bram Wassenaar |   Netherlands | 3:49.7 | Q |  | 3. Henry Gustafsson |   Sweden | 3:52.0 |   |  | 4. José Maria Alonso |   Spain | 3:56.3 |   |  | 5. Mehmet Tümkan |   Turkey | 3:57.8 |   |  | 6. Edmond van Houwenis |   Belgium | 4:00.6 |   |  | 1. Henryk Szordykowski |   Poland | 3:45.8 | Q |  | 2. Mikhail Zhelobovskiy |   Soviet Union | 3:45.9 | Q |  | 3. Pierre Toussaint |   France | 3:49.6 |   |  | 4. Haico Scharn |   Netherlands | 3:50.1 |   |  | 5. Pekka Vasala |   Finland | 3:52.1 |   |  | 6. Alberto Esteban |   Spain | 4:00.8 |   |  | 1. Volodymyr Panteley |   Soviet Union | 3:47.7 | Q |  | 2. Walter Wilkinson |   Great Britain | 3:49.0 | Q |  | 3. Jan Kondzior |   France | 3:50.4 |   |  | 4. Jože Međimurec |   Yugoslavia | 3:53.0 |   |  | 5. Spilios Zakharopoulos |   Greece | 3:53.3 |   |  | 6. Juan Borraz |   Spain | 3:57.2 |   |  | 1. Ulf Högberg |   Sweden | 3:46.0 | Q |  | 2. Frank Murphy |   Ireland | 3:46.2 | Q |  | 3. Jacky Boxberger |   France | 3:47.1 |   |  | 4. Edgard Salvé |   Belgium | 3:48.9 |   |  | 5. Ivan Kováč |   Czechoslovakia | 3:55.2 |   |  | 6. Nayden Petrov |   Bulgaria | 3:55.2 |   |   
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