| Final | | time | | | 1. Georg Nückles |  West Germany | 47.24s | | | 2. Ulrich Reich | West Germany | 47.42s | | | 3. Wolfgang Müller |  East Germany | 47.42s | | | 4. Alfonso Gabernet |  Spain | 47.66s | |
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| | First 2 from each Semi advanced to Final. |
| Semi 1 | | time | | | 1. Ulrich Reich | West Germany | 47.58s | Q | | 2. Alfonso Gabernet | Spain | 47.63s | Q, NR | | 3. Benno Stops | East Germany | 47.75s | | | 4. Luciano Sušanj |  Yugoslavia | 47.85s | |
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| Semi 2 | | time | | | 5. Wolfgang Müller | East Germany | 47.99s | Q | | 6. Georg Nückles | West Germany | 48.06s | Q | | 7. Willy Vandenwyngaerden |  Belgium | 48.77s | | | 8. František ŀtross |  Czechoslovakia | 49.55s | |
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| Heat 1 | | time | | | 3. Alfonso Gabernet | Spain | 47.81s | Q, NR | | 4. Georg Nückles | West Germany | 47.84s | Q | | 5. Luciano Sušanj | Yugoslavia | 47.84s | q | | 6. Willy Vandenwyngaerden | Belgium | 48.64s | q |
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| Heat 2 | | time | | | 1. Wolfgang Müller | East Germany | 47.56s | Q | | 2. Ulrich Reich | West Germany | 47.57s | Q | | 7. Jean-Pierre Sgard |  France | 49.33s | |
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| Heat 3 | | time | | | 8. Benno Stops | East Germany | 49.93s | Q | | 9. František ŀtross | Czechoslovakia | 51.67s | Q |
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