| Final | time | | 1. Peter Nocke |  FRG | 51.55s | | 2. Vladimir Bure |  URS | 52.02s | | 3. Marcello Guarducci |  ITA | 52.11s | | 4. Klaus Steinbach | FRG | 52.25s | | 5. Dan Larsson |  SWE | 52.32s | | 6. Andrey Krylov | URS | 52.71s | | 7. Martin Smith |  GBR | 53.30s | | 8. Fritz Warncke |  NOR | 53.62s |
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| Heat 1 | time | | 1. Klaus Steinbach | FRG | 51.51s | | 2. Rene van der Kuil |  NED | 54.05s | | 3. Lutz Wanja |  GDR | 54.18s | | 4. Hendrik Rasmussen |  DEN | | | 5. Jos Wilwert |  LUX | 57.23s | | -. Jose Pereira |  POR | DQ 2FS |
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| Heat 2 | time | | 1. Peter Nocke | FRG | 52.36s | | 2. Andrey Krylov | URS | 52.50s | | 3. Martin Smith | GBR | 53.38s | | 4. Fritz Warncke | NOR | 53.50s | | 5. Svante Rasmusson | SWE | 54.12s |
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| Heat 3 | time | | 1. Roger Pyttel | GDR | 53.34s | | 2. Rene Ecuyer |  FRA | 53.64s | | 3. Roberto Pangaro | ITA | 53.64s | | 4. Bent Brask | NOR | 53.81s | | 5. Rui Abreu | POR | 53.89s | | 6. Zafer Atamer |  TUR | 58.42s |
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| Heat 4 | time | | 1. Vladimir Bure | URS | 52.27s | | 2. Dan Larsson | SWE | 52.42s | | 3. Marcello Guarducci | ITA | 52.35s | | 4. David Dunne | GBR | 53.64s | | 5. Didier Matusic | FRA | 53.93s | | 6. Albert Boonstra | NED | 54.50s |
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