| Final | time | | | 1. Paul Ereng |  KEN | 1:44.84 | WR | | 2. José Luis Barbosa |  BRA | 1:45.55 | | | 3. Tonino Viali |  ITA | 1:46.95 | | | 4. Stanley Redwine |  USA | 1:47.54 | | | 5. Ray Brown | USA | 1:47.93 | | | 6. Ikem Billy |  GBR | 1:48.97 | |
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| | | First 3 advanced to Final |
| Semi 1 | time | | | 1. Tonino Viali | ITA | 1:49.06 | Q | | 2. Ikem Billy | GBR | 1:49.28 | Q | | 3. Stanley Redwine | USA | 1:49.57 | Q | | 4. Rob Druppers |  NED | 1:49.70 | | | 5. Joachim Heydgen |  FRG | 1:49.71 | | | -. Pablo Squella |  CHI | DNS | |
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| Semi 2 | time | | | 1. José Luis Barbosa | BRA | 1:46.79 | Q | | 2. Paul Ereng | KEN | 1:47.11 | Q | | 3. Ray Brown | USA | 1:47.24 | Q | | 4. Andrey Sudnik |  URS | 1:49.01 | | | 5. Steven Heard | GBR | 1:50.75 | | | 6. William Wuyke |  VEN | 1:53.52 | |
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| Heat 1 | time | | | 1. José Luis Barbosa | BRA | 1:49.55 | Q | | 2. Joachim Heydgen | FRG | 1:49.70 | q | | 3. Steven Heard | GBR | 1:49.71 | q | | 4. Tomas de Teresa |  ESP | 1:50.19 | |
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| Heat 2 | time | | | 1. Ikem Billy | GBR | 1:49.49 | Q | | 2. Feranswa Woldemarian |  ETH | 1:49.74 | | | 3. Markus Trinkler |  SUI | 1:49.79 | | | 4. Claude Diomar |  FRA | 1:50.20 | | | 5. Lardou |  MAR | 1:51.49 | | | 6. Bobby Gaseitsiwe |  BOT | 1:53.72 | |
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| Heat 3 | time | | | 1. Paul Ereng | KEN | 1:47.99 | Q | | 2. Rob Druppers | NED | 1:48.29 | q | | 3. Pablo Squella | CHI | 1:48.77 | q | | 4. Stanley Redwine | USA | 1:49.04 | q | | 5. Simon Hoogewerf |  CAN | 1:49.98 | | | 6. Luis A. Migueles |  ARG | 1:51.58 | |
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| Heat 4 | time | | | 1. Tonino Viali | ITA | 1:48.45 | Q | | 2. Andrey Sudnik | URS | 1:48.54 | q | | 3. Ray Brown | USA | 1:48.62 | q | | 4. William Wuyke | VEN | 1:48.97 | q | | 5. Hamid Sadjadi |  IRI | 1:51.21 | |
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