| Final | time | | gap | | 1. Zoltan Verraszto |  HUN | 2:03.88 | | | | 2. Miloslav Rolko |  TCH | 2:05.07 | | +1.19s | | 3. Jan Thorell |  SWE | 2:05.22 | | +1.34s | | 4. Róbert Rudolf | HUN | 2:07.38 | | +3.50s | | 5. Michael Tauber |  GDR | 2:07.63 | | +3.75s | | 6. Ivan Mikolutskiy |  URS | 2:08.39 | | +4.51s | | 7. Leif Ericsson | SWE | 2:08.41 | | +4.53s | | 8. Thomas Ackenhausen | GDR | 2:08.60 | | +4.72s |
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Heats - Friday, 19th August |
| Heat 1 | time | Rk. | | 1. Jan Thorell | SWE | 2:05.45 | 1. | | 2. Leif Ericsson | SWE | 2:07.78 | 4. | | 3. Ivan Mikolutskiy | URS | 2:08.05 | 6. | | 4. James Carter |  GBR | 2:08.62 | 10. | | 5. Adrian Horvath |  ROU | 2:11.48 | 15. | | 6. Zafer Atamer |  TUR | 2:26.19 | 16. |
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| Heat 2 | time | Rk. | | 1. Miloslav Rolko | TCH | 2:07.96 | 5. | | 2. Thomas Ackenhausen | GDR | 2:08.52 | 7. | | 3. Róbert Rudolf | HUN | 2:08.54 | 8. | | 4. Igor Omelsyenko | URS | 2:09.12 | 11. |
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| Heat 3 | time | Rk. | | 1. Zoltan Verraszto | HUN | 2:06.01 | 2. | | 2. Michael Tauber | GDR | 2:07.61 | 3. | | 3. Reinhold Becker |  FRG | 2:08.54 | 9. | | 4. Stefano Bellon |  ITA | 2:10.31 | 12. | | 5. Gary Abraham | GBR | 2:10.40 | 13. | | 6. Fred Eefting |  NED | 2:10.44 | 14. |
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