| 1 | Rolf Gysin | SUI | 1:49,73 | Q |
| 2 | Philippe Meyer | FRA | 1:49,75 | Q |
| 3 | Markku Aalto | FIN | 1:49,81 | |
| 4 | Åke Svensson | SWE | 1:50,30 |
| 1 | András Zsinka | HUN | 1:49,77 | Q |
| 2 | Józef Plachý | TCH | 1:49,97 | Q |
| 3 | Ivo van Damme | BEL | 1:50,56 | |
| 4 | Vittorio Fontanella | ITA | 1:50,79 |
| 1 | Luciano Susanj | YUG | 1:50,34 | Q |
| 2 | Michal Skowronek | POL | 1:50,56 | Q |
| 3 | Jan Sisovsky | TCH | 1:50,67 | |
| 4 | Antonio Fernández | ESP | 1:52,89 |