| Final |   | time |   |  | 1. Paul-Heinz Wellmann |   West Germany | 3:45.1 |   |  | 2. Thomas Wessinghage |   West Germany | 3:45.3 |   |  | 3. Gheorghe Ghipu |   Romania | 3:46.1 |   |  | 4. Herman Mignon |   Belgium | 3:47.1 |   |  | 5. Eberhard Helm |   West Germany | 3:47.3 |   |  | 6. Daniel Jańczuk |   Poland | 3:47.7 |   |  | 7. Anatoliy Mamontov |   Soviet Union | 3:47.7 |   |  | 8. Glen Grant |   Great Britain | 3:48.4 |   |   
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  Heats - Saturday, 21st February |  | First 3 from each Heat advanced to Final.  |   
| Heat 1 |   | time |   |  | 1. Thomas Wessinghage |   West Germany | 3:44.9 | Q |  | 2. Gheorghe Ghipu |   Romania | 3:45.1 | Q |  | 3. Anatoliy Mamontov |   Soviet Union | 3:45.7 | Q |  | 4. Herman Mignon |   Belgium | 3:45.8 | Q |  | 5. Vladimir Kanev |   Bulgaria | 3:46.1 |   |  | 6. Eugeniusz Frąckowiak |   Poland | 3:46.3 |   |   
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| Heat 2 |   | time |   |  | 7. Paul-Heinz Wellmann |   West Germany | 3:48.3 | Q |  | 8. Eberhard Helm |   West Germany | 3:48.7 | Q |  | 9. Glen Grant |   Great Britain | 3:48.9 | Q |  | 10.Daniel Jańczuk |   Poland | 3:49.1 | Q |  | 11.Åke Svensson |   Sweden | 3:49.8 |   |  | 12.Fotios Kourtis |   Greece | 3:49.9 |   |   
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