Qualifikationsweite: 16,70 m
| 1 | Khristo Markov | BUL | 17,07 | Q | |
| 2 | Māris Bružiks | URS | 16,93 | Q | |
| 3 | Oleg Protsenko | URS | 16,75 | Q | |
| 4 | Mike Conley | USA | 16,62 | q | |
| 5 | Ján Čado | TCH | 16,58 | q | |
| 6 | Joseph Taiwo | NGR | 16,55 | q | |
| 7 | Norifumi Yamashita | JPN | 16,47 | q | |
| 8 | Frank Rutherford | BAH | 16,40 | q | |
| 9 | Didier Falise | BEL | 16,39 | q | |
| 10 | Al Joyner | USA | 16,36 | q | |
| 11 | Stephen Hanna | BAH | 16,25 | q | |
| 12 | Đorđe Kožul | YUG | 16,13 | q | |
| 13 | Arne Holm | SWE | 16,07 | ||
| 14 | Peter Beames | AUS | 16,05 | ||
| 15 | Marios Hadjiandreou | GRE | 15,72 | ||
| 16 | Serge Hélan | FRA | 15,69 | ||
| 17 | José Quiñaliza | ECU | 14,77 | NR | |
| 18 | Edward Manderson | CAY | 14,39 | ||
| 19 | Mauricio Carrenza | ELS | 13,74 | NR | |
| Ahmed Hassan Badra | EGY | NM | |||
| Jesús Oliván | ESP | DNS | |||
| Ajayi Agbebaku | NGR | DNS | |||
| Paul Emordi | NGR | DNS |
| Athlet | 1. | 2. | 3. |
| Khristo Markov | 16,41 | 17,07 | - |
| Māris Bružiks | 16,35 | 16,93 | - |
| Oleg Protsenko | 16,64 | 16,46 | 16,75 |
| Mike Conley | x | 16,62 | - |
| Ján Čado | 15,81 | 16,22 | 16,58 |
| Joseph Taiwo | 16,42 | 16,55 | x |
| Norifumi Yamashita | x | 16,24 | 16,47 |
| Frank Rutherford | 15,97 | 16,40 | x |
| Didier Falise | 16,27 | x | 16,39 |
| Al Joyner | x | 16,17 | 16,36 |
| Stephen Hanna | 15,61 | 15,98 | 16,25 |
| Đorđe Kožul | 15,44 | 16,06 | 16,13 |
| Arne Holm | 15,69 | x | 16,07 |
| Peter Beames | x | 16,05 | x |
| Marios Hadjiandreou | x | 15,72 | - |
| Serge Hélan | 14,90 | 15,26 | 15,69 |
| José Quiñaliza | 14,65 | 13,73 | 14,77 |
| Edward Manderson | x | 14,39 | x |
| Mauricio Carranza | 13,74 | x | 13,59 |
| Hassan Badra | x | x | x |
| Jesús Oliván | |||
| Ajayi Agbebaku | |||
| Paul Emordi |