| Final Wind 0.3m/s | time | L | age |  | 1. Rod Milburn |  USA | 13.24s | 5 | 22 |  | 2. Guy Drut |  FRA | 13.34s | 8 | 21 |  | 3. Thomas Hill |  USA | 13.48s | 7 | 22 |  | 4. Willie Davenport |  USA | 13.50s | 1 | 29 |  | 5. Frank Siebeck |  GDR | 13.71s | 6 | 23 |  | 6. Leszek Wodzynski |  POL | 13.72s | 3 | 26 |  | 7. Lubomir Nadenicek |  TCH | 13.76s | 2 | 25 |  | 8. Petr Cech |  TCH | 13.86s | 4 | 28 |   
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|   |  | First 4 from each semi advanced to Final. |   
| Semi 1 | time |  | 1. Thomas Hill |  USA | 13.47s |  | 2. Guy Drut |  FRA | 13.49s |  | 3. Leszek Wodzyhski |  POL | 13.81s |  | 4. Petr Cech |  TCH | 13.82s |  | 5. Sergio Liani |  ITA | 13.90s |  | 6. Richard MacDonald |  CAN | 14.22s |  | 7. Berwyn Price |  GBR | 14.37s |  | 8. Miroslaw Wodzyhski |  POL | 14.63s |   
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| Semi 2 | time |  | 1. Rodney Milburn |  USA | 13.44s |  | 2. Frank Siebeck |  GDR | 13.58s |  | 3. Willie Davenport |  USA | 13.73s |  | 4. Lubomir Nadenicek |  TCH | 13.89s |  | 5. Marek J´cwik |  POL | 14.06s |  | 6. Gunther Nickel |  FRG | 14.23s |  | 7. Alan Pascoe |  GBR | 14.24s |  | 8. Marco Acerbi |  ITA | 14.45s |   
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Milburn and Hill were the fastest in the heats with 13.57 and 13.62, and
confirmed their form with semi-final wins of 13.44 and 13.47 respec-
tively. Hill displayed a dreadful start and great fluidity over the hurdles
in edging Drut (13.49), while Milburn also came from behind in beat-
ing Siebeck (13.58).
Milburn, the world record holder and favourite, shot out of the
blocks in the final, and ripped to a 2m lead by the sixth hurdle, main-
taining half of that lead to the tape, reached in a new world record time
of 13.24. Behind him, Hill was second early on, but Drut caught him at
the fourth barrier and the Frenchman showed a powerful finish in cut-
ting back Milburn’s lead. Hill edged Davenport for third, though the
reigning champion was in silver medal position until the eighth hurdle.
 
| Heat 1 | time |  | 1. Frank Siebeck |  GDR | 13.83s |  | 2. Willie Davenport |  USA | 13.97s |  | 3. Leszek Wodzyhski |  POL | 14.03s |  | 4. Eckart Berkes |  FRG | 14.14s |  | 5. Adeola Aboyade-Cole |  NGR | 14.16s |  | 6. Arnaldo Bristol |  PUR | 14.61s |  | 7. Ishtiaq Mobarak |  MAL | 14.78s |  | 8. Ahmad Bashir |  PAK | 15.38s |   
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| Heat 2 | time |  | 1. Thomas Hill |  USA | 13.62s |  | 2. Berwyn Price |  GBR | 13.94s |  | 3. Gunther Nickel |  FRG | 13.95s |  | 4. Miroslaw Wodzyhski |  POL | 14.02s |  | 5. Victor Miasnikov |  URS | 14.13s |  | 6. Bo Forssander |  SWE | 14.56s |  | 7. Alberto Filipe Matos |  POR | 14.74s |  | 8. Chung-Ping Lee |  ROC | 14.98s |   
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| Heat 3 | time |  | 1. Rodney Milburn |  USA | 13.57s |  | 2. Lubomir Nadenicek |  TCH | 13.93s |  | 3. Richard MacDonald |  CAN | 14.36s |  | 4. Danny Smith |  BAH | 14.46s |  | 5. Jesper Torring |  DEN | 14.50s |  | 6. Malcolm Baird |  AUS | 14.55s |  | 7. Simbara Maki |  CIV | 14.59s |  | -. Giuseppe Buttari |  ITA |   
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| Heat 4 | time |  | 1. Marco Acerbi |  ITA | 13.99s |  | 2. Marek J´zwik |  POL | 14.06s |  | 3. Alan Pascoe |  GBR | 14.08s |  | 4. Abdoulaye Sarr |  SEN | 14.12s |  | 5. Manfred Schumann |  FRG | 14.13s |  | 6. Beat Pfister |  SUI | 14.33s |  | 7. Moreldin Mohamed Hamdi |  SUD | 15.80s |  | -. Alejandro Casanas |  CUB |   
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| Heat 5 | time |  | 1. Guy Drut |  FRA | 13.78s |  | 2. Sergio Liani |  ITA | 13.95s |  | 3. Petr Cech |  TCH | 14.04s |  | 4. Godfrey Murray |  JAM | 14.16s |  | 5. Lorant Milassin |  HUN | 14.21s |  | 6. David Wilson |  GBR | 14.31s |  | 7. Anthony Nelson |  CAN | 14.73s |   
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