| Final | time | Y |  | 1. Billy Konchellah |  KEN | 1:43.06 CR | 25  |  | 2. Peter Elliott |  GBR | 1:43.41 PB | 24  |  | 3. Jose Luiz Barbosa |  BRA | 1:43.76 PB | 26  |  | 4. Ryszard Ostrowski |  POL | 1:44.59 | 26 |  | 5. Faouzi Lahbi |  MAR | 1:44.83 | 27 |  | 6. Stephen Ole Marai |  KEN | 1:44.84 PB | 24  |  | 7. Slobodan Popovic |  YUG | 1:45.07 PB | 24  |  | 8. Tom McKean |  GBR | 1:49.21 | 23 |   
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 |   |  | First 3 from each Semi and Best 2 advanced to Final. |   
| Semi 1 | time | Rk. |  | 1. Tom McKean |  GBR | 1:44.86 | 1. |  | 2. Jose Luiz Barbosa |  BRA | 1:45.03 | 2. |  | 3. Stephen Ole Marai |  KEN | 1:45.09 | 3. |  | 4. Faouzi Lahbi |  MAR | 1:45.19 | 4. |  | 5. Slobodan Popovic |  YUG | 1:45.33 | 5. |  | 6. Vladimir Graudyn |  URS | 1:45.36 | 6. |  | 7. Moussa Fall |  SEN | 1:47.55 | 12. |  | 8. Philippe Collard |  FRA | 1:48.24 | 13. |   
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| Semi 2 | time | Rk. |  | 1. Billy Konchellah |  KEN | 1:46.11 | 7. |  | 2. Ryszard Ostrowski |  POL | 1:46.22 | 8. |  | 3. Peter Elliott |  GBR | 1:46.23 | 9. |  | 4. Babacar Niang |  SEN | 1:46.23 | 10. |  | 5. Dieudonne Kwizera |  BUR | 1:46.26 | 11. |  | 6. David Mack |  USA | 1:48.49 | 14. |  | 7. Ari Suhonen |  FIN | 1:48.85 | 15. |  | 8. Alvaro Silva |  POR | 1:49.41 | 16. |   
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| Quarter 1 | time |  | 1. Stephen Ole Marai |  KEN | 1:45.97 |  | 2. Ryszard Ostrowski |  POL | 1:46.04 |  | 3. Faouzi Lahbi |  MAR | 1:46.12 |  | 4. Stanley Redwine |  USA | 1:46.25 |  | 5. William Wuyke |  VEN | 1:46.38 |  | 6. Robin Van Helden |  NED | 1:46.69 |  | 7. Luis Karin Toledo |  MEX | 1:46.88 |  | 8. Reda Abdenouz |  ALG | 1:48.96 |  | -. Getahun Ayana |  ETH | DNS |   
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| Quarter 2 | time |  | 1. Moussa Fall |  SEN | 1:44.74 |  | 2. Peter Elliott |  GBR | 1:44.98 |  | 3. Dieudonne Kwizera |  BUR | 1:45.06 |  | 4. Slobodan Popovic |  YUG | 1:45.15 |  | 5. Vladimir Graudyn |  URS | 1:45.19 |  | 6. Alvaro Silva |  POR | 1:45.63 |  | 7. David Mack |  USA | 1:45.68 |  | 8. Edwin Koech |  KEN | 1:46.36 |   
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| Quarter 3 | time |  | 1. Billy Konchellah |  KEN | 1:45.53 |  | 2. Philippe Collard |  FRA | 1:45.89 |  | 3. Tom McKean |  GBR | 1:46.11 |  | 4. Andrey Sudnik |  URS | 1:46.48 |  | 5. Ibrahim Okash |  SOM | 1:47.00 |  | 6. Ismael Youssef |  QAT | 1:49.26 |  | -. Gert Kilbert |  SUI | DNF |  | -. Pablo Squella |  CHI | DNS |   
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| Quarter 4 | time |  | 1. Babacar Niang |  SEN | 1:45.81 |  | 2. Jose Luiz Barbosa |  BRA | 1:46.07 |  | 3. Ari Suhonen |  FIN | 1:46.18 |  | 4. Tony Morrell |  GBR | 1:46.25 |  | 5. Peter Braun |  FRG | 1:48.53 |  | 6. Luc Bernaert |  BEL | 1:49.06 |  | 7. Martin Enholm |  SWE | 1:49.17 |  | 8. Johnny Gray |  USA | 1:49.50 |   
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| Heat 1 | time |  | 1. Faouzi Lahbi |  MAR | 1:46.07 |  | 2. Dieudonne Kwizera |  BUR | 1:46.27 |  | 3. Andrey Sudnik |  URS | 1:46.29 |  | 4. Jose Luiz Barbosa |  BRA | 1:46.31 |  | 5. Ibrahim Okash |  SOM | 1:46.61 |  | 6. Chern Srichudano |  THA | 1:50.37 |  | 7. Rob Druppers |  NED | 1:50.58 |  | 8. Semi Vuetibau |  FIJ | 1:58.58 |   
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| Heat 2 | time |  | 1. Johnny Gray |  USA | 1:46.53 |  | 2. Peter Elliott |  GBR | 1:46.63 |  | 3. Marai Stephen Ole |  KEN | 1:46.91 |  | 4. Robin Van Helden |  NED | 1:46.98 |  | 5. Luc Bernaert |  BEL | 1:47.48 |  | 6. Pablo Squella |  CHI | 1:47.48 |  | 7. Manlio Molinari |  SMR | 1:53.41 |   
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| Heat 3 | time |  | 1. Billy Konchellah |  KEN | 1:47.98 |  | 2. Moussa Fall |  SEN | 1:48.01 |  | 3. Ryszard Ostrowski |  POL | 1:48.07 |  | 4. Alvaro Silva |  POR | 1:48.19 |  | 5. Gert Kilbert |  SUI | 1:48.48 |  | 6. Luis Migueles |  ARG | 1:49.52 |  | -. Agberto Guimaraes |  BRA | DNS |  | -. Mohamed Hossain Milzer |  BAN | DNS |   
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| Heat 4 | time |  | 1. Philippe Collard |  FRA | 1:47.44 |  | 2. Stanley Redwine |  USA | 1:47.64 |  | 3. Tom McKean |  GBR | 1:47.71 |  | 4. Ari Suhonen |  FIN | 1:47.81 |  | 5. Luis Karin Toledo |  MEX | 1:48.05 |  | 6. Ismael Youssef |  QAT | 1:48.73 |  | 7. John Chappory |  GIB | 1:54.32 |   
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| Heat 5 | time |  | 1. Peter Braun |  FRG | 1:47.96 |  | 2. Tony Morrell |  GBR | 1:48.18 |  | 3. Martin Enholm |  SWE | 1:48.63 |  | 4. David Mack |  USA | 1:49.47 |  | 5. Augustin Ntamihanga |  RWA | 1:50.69 |  | 6. Simon Hoogewerf |  CAN | 1:51.13 |  | -. Joaquim Cruz |  BRA | DNS |   
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| Heat 6 | time |  | 1. Slobodan Popovic |  YUG | 1:47.42 |  | 2. Babacar Niang |  SEN | 1:47.46 |  | 3. Edwin Koech |  KEN | 1:47.56 |  | 4. William Wuyke |  VEN | 1:47.59 |  | 5. Vladimir Graudyn |  URS | 1:47.75 |  | 6. Getahun Ayana |  ETH | 1:49.22 |  | 7. Reda Abdenouz |  ALG | 1:49.22 |  | -. Syed Meesaq Rizvi |  PAK | DNS |   
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