| Final | | time | | gap | L | | 1. Gunnar Larsson |  Sweden | 4:02.6 | WR | | 5 | | 2. Hans Fassnacht |  West Germany | 4:03.0 | NR | 0.4s | 4 | | 3. Santiago Esteva |  Spain | 4:08.3 | | 5.7s | 3 | | 4. Wolfram Sperling |  East Germany | 4:10.1 | NR | 7.5s | 2 | | 5. Antonio Corell | Spain | 4:12.9 | | 10.3s | 7 | | 6. Wilfried Hartung | East Germany | 4:13.7 | | 11.1s | 6 | | 7. Sverre Kile |  Norway | 4:14.6 | NR | 12.0s | 8 | | 8. Alekszandr Szamszonov |  Soviet Union | 4:14.7 | | 12.1s | 1 |
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| World Record: | | European Record: |
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Heats - , --th September | | Best 8 times advanced to Final>. |
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| Heat 3 | | time | | | 2. Gunnar Larsson | Sweden | 4:05.9 | Q, NR | | 3. Santiago Esteva | Spain | 4:07.7 | Q, NR | | 4. Wilfried Hartung | East Germany | 4:13.8 | Q | | 11.Peter Rosenkranz | West Germany | 4:20.2 | | | 15.Alain Mosconi |  France | 4:24.5 | | | 16.Sandro Grassi |  Italy | 4:26.2 | | | 19.Dimitriosz Teodoropulosz |  Greece | 4:52.2 | |
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| Heat 2 | | time | | | 6. Antonio Corell | Spain | 4:14.0 | Q, NR | | 7. Alekszandr Szamszonov | Soviet Union | 4:16.4 | Q | | 10.Hargitay András |  Hungary | 4:20.0 | | | 13.Krystian Langer |  Poland | 4:22.5 | | | 14.Alain Charmey |  Switzerland | 4:23.2 | NR | | 17.Borlói Mátyás | Hungary | 4:35.2 | |
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| Heat 1 | | time | | | 1. Hans Fassnacht | West Germany | 4:04.8 | Q, ECR | | 5. Wolfram Sperling | East Germany | 4:14.0 | Q | | 8. Sverre Kile | Norway | 4:17.7 | Q, NR | | 9. Sven von Holst | Sweden | 4:18.0 | | | 12.Wojtakajtis Władysław | Poland | 4:22.1 | | | 18.Konsztantinosz Koszkinasz | Greece | 4:36.5 | |
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