| Final 18:10 | time |   |  | 1. Yevgeniy Arzhanov |  URS | 1:45.62 | CR |  | 2. Dieter Fromm |  GDR | 1:45.96 |   |  | 3. Andy Carter |  GBR | 1:46.16 | NR |  | 4. Hans-Henning Ohlert |  GDR | 1:46.87 |   |  | 5. Peter Browne |  GBR | 1:47.00 |   |  | 6. Jozef Plachý |  TCH | 1:47.33 |   |  | 7. Jože Međimurec |  YUG | 1:48.44 |   |  | 8. Philippe Meyer |  FRA | 1:50.91 |   |   
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| History Men 800m |  | World Record: Snell (NZL), Doubell (AUS) 1:44.3 |  | and European Record: Kemper (FRG), Adams (FRG) 1:44.9s |  | Championship Record: Matuschewski (GDR), Fromm (FRG) 1:45.9 |  | Qualification Standard: 1:47.5 |   
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| Semi 1 | time |   |  | 1. Andy Carter |  GBR | 1:48.46 | Q |  | 2. Hans-Henning Ohlert |  GDR | 1:48.66 | Q |  | 3. Jože Međimurec |  YUG | 1:48.92 | Q |  | 4. Philippe Meyer |  FRA | 1:48.94 | Q |  | 5. Stanisław Waśkiewicz |  POL | 1:49.10 |   |  | 6. Stanislav Meshcherskikh |  URS | 1:49.10 |   |  | 7. Gerd Larsen |  DEN | 1:49.33 |   |  | 8. Markku Aalto |  FIN | 1:50.61 |   |   
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| Semi 2 | time |   |  | 1. Dieter Fromm |  GDR | 1:48.60 | Q |  | 2. Yevgeniy Arzhanov |  URS | 1:48.96 | Q |  | 3. Peter Browne |  GBR | 1:49.03 | Q |  | 4. Jozef Plachý |  TCH | 1:49.07 | Q |  | 5. Andrzej Kupczyk |  POL | 1:49.28 |   |  | 6. Antonio Fernández |  ESP | 1:49.92 |   |  | 7. Sjef Hensgens |  NED | 1:50.20 |   |  | 8. Jens-Bodo Fried |  FRG | 1:50.54 |   |   
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| Heat 1 | time |   |  | 1. Dieter Fromm |  GDR | 1:48.81 | Q |  | 2. Jože Međimurec |  YUG | 1:49.15 | Q |  | 3. Antonio Fernández |  ESP | 1:49.29 | Q |  | 4. Markku Aalto |  FIN | 1:49.33 | Q |  | 5. Hans Bertram |  FRG | 1:49.57 |   |  | 6. Krzysztof Linkowski |  POL | 1:51.67 |   |  | 7. Ragnar Schie |  NOR | 1:54.21 |   |   
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| Heat 2 | time |   |   |  | 1. Andy Carter |  GBR | 1:46.82 | Q |  | 2. Jens-Bodo Fried |  FRG | 1:47.43 | Q |  | 3. Stanislav Meshcherskikh |  URS | 1:47.49 | Q |  | 4. Sjef Hensgens |  NED | 1:47.90 | Q |  | 5. Fernando Mamede |  POR | 1:48.44 | NR |  | 6. André Boonen |  BEL | 1:49.61 |   |  | 7. Aurelio Falero |  GIN | 1:59.75 |   |   
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| Heat 3 | time |   |  | 1. Yevgeniy Arzhanov |  URS | 1:49.27 | Q |  | 2. Gerd Larsen |  DEN | 1:49.31 | Q |  | 3. Stanisław Waśkiewicz |  POL | 1:49.35 | Q |  | 4. Peter Browne |  GBR | 1:49.41 | Q |  | 5. Reiner Föhrenbach |  FRG | 1:49.57 |   |  | 6. Mehmet Tümkan |  TUR | 1:49.80 |   |   
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| Heat 4 | time |   |  | 1. Hans-Henning Ohlert |  GDR | 1:59.23 | Q |  | 2. Jozef Plachý |  TCH | 2:00.09 | Q |  | 3. Andrzej Kupczyk |  POL | 2:00.13 | Q |  | 4. Philippe Meyer |  FRA | 2:00.60 | Q |  |  only 4 competitors. |   
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