| Final 19.50h | time | L | | 1. Billy Konchellah | KEN | 1:43.99 | 7 | | 2. Jose Luiz Barbosa | BRA | 1:44.24 | 5 | | 3. Mark Everett | USA | 1:44.67 | 1 | | 4. Paul Ereng | KEN | 1:44.75 | 3 | | 5. Piotr Piekarski | POL | 1:45.44 | 2 | | 6. Johnny Gray | USA | 1:45.67 | 8 | | 7. Andrey Sudnik | URS | 1:46.36 | 6 | | 8. Tomas de Teresa | ESP | 1:47.65 | 4 |
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| Heat 1 | time | L | | 1. Billy Konchellah | KEN | 1:46.86 | 1 | | 2. Mark Everett | USA | 1:46.96 | 8 | | 3. Johnny Gray | USA | 1:47.04 | 6 | | 4. Piotr Piekarski | POL | 1:47.14 | 5 | | 5. Freddie Williams | CAN | 1:47.17 | 3 | | 6. Robert Kibet | KEN | 1:47.36 | 2 | | 7. Frederic Cornette | FRA | 1:48.04 | 7 | | 8. Steve Heard | GBR | 1:49.91 | 4 |
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| Heat 2 | time | L | | 1. Jose Luiz Barbosa | BRA | 1:45.14 | 5 | | 2. Paul Ereng | KEN | 1:45.42 | 6 | | 3. Tomas de Teresa | ESP | 1:45.84 | 4 | | 4. Andrey Sudnik | URS | 1:45.91 | 8 | | 5. George Kersh | USA | 1:45.98 | 1 | | 6. Mbiganyi Thee | BOT | 1:46.30 | 3 | | 7. Joachim Dehmel | GER | 1:47.91 | 2 | | 8. Brian Whittle | GBR | 1:54.14 | 7 |
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| Heat 1 | time | L | | 1. Billy Konchellah | KEN | 1:47.35 | 3 | | 2. Mark Everett | USA | 1:47.37 | 2 | | 3. Tom McKean | GBR | 1:47.38 | 1 | | 4. Desta Asgedom | ETH | 1:48.28 | 4 | | 5. Fabian Franco | GIB | 1:54.29 | 5 | | 6. Charles Nkazamyampi | BUR | 4:13.28 | 6 | | -. Ismael Youssef | QAT | DQ | 7 |
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| Heat 2 | time | L | | 1. Paul Ereng | KEN | 1:45.94 | 1 | | 2. Tomas de Teresa | ESP | 1:46.41 | 5 | | 3. Slobodan Popovic | YUG | 1:46.89 | 4 | | 4. Valeriy Starodubtsev | URS | 1:47.55 | 7 | | 5. Ari Suhonen | FIN | 1:48.15 | 2 | | 6. Luis Martinez | GUA | 1:49.07 | 6 | | -. Ibrahim Okash | SOM | DNS | 3 |
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| Heat 3 | time | L | | 1. Robert Kibet | KEN | 1:50.13 | 1 | | 2. Brian Whittle | GBR | 1:50.30 | 4 | | 3. Luis Javier Gonzalez | ESP | 1:50.46 | 7 | | 4. Reda Abdenouz | ALG | 1:50.47 | 3 | | 5. Pablo Squella | CHI | 1:50.92 | 2 | | 6. Luis Migueles | ARG | 1:51.42 | 6 | | 7. Samson Vallabouy | MAS | 1:51.46 | 5 |
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| Heat 4 | time | L | | 1. George Kersh | USA | 1:47.00 | 1 | | 2. Frederic Cornette | FRA | 1:47.02 | 3 | | 3. Ahmed Belkessam | ALG | 1:47.06 | 5 | | 4. Esko Parpala | FIN | 1:47.28 | 7 | | 5. Babacar Niang | SEN | 1:47.75 | 2 | | 6. Dale Jones | ANT | 1:48.62 | 4 | | -. Dieudonne Kwizera | BUR | DNS | 6 |
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| Heat 5 | time | L | | 1. Jose Luiz Barbosa | BRA | 1:45.68 | 3 | | 2. Freddie Williams | CAN | 1:45.83 | 1 | | 3. Mbiganyi Thee | BOT | 1:45.94 | 2 | | 4. Joachim Dehmel | GER | 1:46.24 | 5 | | 5. Steve Heard | GBR | 1:46.29 | 4 | | 6. Tommy Asinga | SUR | 1:47.33 | 7 | | -. Joao N'Tyamba | ANO | DQ | 6 |
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| Heat 6 | time | L | | 1. Johnny Gray | USA | 1:46.59 | 7 | | 2. Piotr Piekarski | POL | 1:46.63 | 3 | | 3. Andrey Sudnik | URS | 1:46.77 | 4 | | 4. Giuseppe D'Urso | ITA | 1:46.82 | 1 | | 5. Markus Trinkler | SUI | 1:47.67 | 2 | | 6. Antonio Abrantes | POR | 1:47.91 | 5 | | 7. Douglas Kalembo | ZAM | 1:48.26 | 6 |
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