| Final | | time | | gap | L | | 1. Ian Black |  Great Britain | 2:21.9 | | | 4 | | 2. Pavel Pazdírek |  Czechoslovakia | 2:22.6 | | +0.7s | 5 | | 3. Graham Symonds | Great Britain | 2:25.8 | | +3.9s | 6 | | 4. Wolfgang Sieber |  East Germany | 2:26.0 | | +4.1s | 3 | | 5. Lajos Várszegi |  Hungary | 2:27.5 | | +5.6s | 8 | | 6. René Pirolley |  France | 2:27.5 | | +5.6s | 7 | | 7. Vitaliy Zsenyenkov |  Soviet Union | 2:28.0 | | +6.1s | 2 | | 8. Tumpek György | Hungary | 2:29.9 | | +8.0s | 1 |
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| World Record: William Yorzyk, United States 2:15.7 Winchendon, United States 14th April 1956 | | European Record: Hans Zierold, East Germany 2:21.4 Leipzig, East Germany 14th September 1957 |
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Heats - Tuesday, 2nd September | | Best 8 times advanced to Final. |
| Heat 4 | | time | | | 4. Graham Symonds | Great Britain | 2:26.2 | Q | | 7. Lajos Várszegi | Hungary | 2:28.1 | Q | | 12.Leonyid Szagagyjuk | Soviet Union | 2:31.7 | | | 14.Jaroslav ŀťastný | Czechoslovakia | 2:35.2 | | | 17.Poldinger Günther |  Austria | 2:43.7 | | | 19.José Jiménez |  Spain | 2:45.0 | | | -. Constantino Dennerlein |  Italy | DQ | |
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| Heat 3 | | time | | | 2. Pavel Pazdírek | Czechoslovakia | 2:23.5 | Q | | 6. Vitalij Zsenyenkov | Soviet Union | 2:27.8 | Q | | 10.Marian Raczynski |  Poland | 2:30.4 | | | 15.Boris Volcansek |  Yugoslavia | 2:35.7 | | | 18.Bert Sitters | Poland | 2:44.7 | | | 20.Bjarne Christer |  Norway | 2:45.1 | |
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| Heat 2 | | time | | | 5. René Pirolley | France | 2:27.8 | Q | | 9. Jerzy Czyz | Poland | 2:30.1 | | | 11.Horst Weber |  West Germany | 2:31.1 | | | 13.Hermann Löffler | West Germany | 2:33.7 | | | 21.Georgiosz Kasszidokosztasz |  Greece | 2:51.7 | |
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| Heat 1 | | time | | | 1. Ian Black | Great Britain | 2:21.8 | Q, ECR | | 3. Wolfgang Sieber | East Germany | 2:24.3 | Q | | 7. Tumpek György | Hungary | 2:28.1 | Q | | 16.Otto Mayer | Austria | 2:39.4 | |
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