| Final 19:40 | time | | | | 1. Jan Werner |  POL | 45.7s | 45.75s | CR | | 2. Jean-Claude Nallet |  FRA | 45.8s | 45.81s | | | 3. Stanisław Grędziński | POL | 45.8s | 45.83s | | | 4. Jacques Carette | FRA | 45.9s | 45.92s | | | 5. Aleksandr Bratchikov |  URS | 45.9s | 45.94s | NR | | 6. Andrzej Badeński | POL | 46.0s | 46.09s | | | 7. Boris Savchuk | URS | 46.3s | 46.38s | | | 8. Sergio Bello |  ITA | 46.6s | 46.63s | |
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| History Men 400m | | World Record: Evans (USA) 43.8s - 1968 | | European Record: Kaufmannn (FRG) 44.9s - 1960, Jelinghaus (FRG) 44.9s (1968) | | Semi-Finals | | Heats |
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Semi-Finals - Wednesday 17.09 18:30 | | First 4 progress to Final. |
| Semi 1 | time | | | 1. Andrzej Badeński | POL | 46.4s | Q | | 2. Jean-Claude Nallet | FRA | 46.6s | Q | | 3. Jacques Carette | FRA | 46.7s | Q | | 4. Boris Savchuk | URS | 46.7s | Q | | 5. Claudio Trachelio | ITA | 46.9s | | | 6. John Robertson |  GBR | 47.0s | | | 7. Martin Winbolt-Lewis | GBR | 47.2s | | | 8. Yuriy Zorin | URS | 47.8s | |
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| Semi 2 | time | | | 1. Stanisław Grędziński | POL | 46.4s | Q | | 2. Aleksandr Bratchikov | URS | 46.5s | Q | | 3. Jan Werner | POL | 46.5s | Q | | 4. Sergio Bello | ITA | 47.0s | Q | | 5. Colin Campbell | GBR | 47.2s | | | 6. Gilles Bertould | FRA | 47.2s | | | 7. Ulf Rönner |  SWE | 47.4s | | | 8. Manuel Gayoso |  ESP | 47.6s | |
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Heats - Tuesday 16.09 21:00 | | First 4 progress to Semi-Finals. |
| Heat 1 | time | | | 1. Andrzej Badeński | POL | 46.9s | Q | | 2. Claudio Trachelio | ITA | 47.0s | Q | | 3. Boris Savchuk | URS | 47.3s | Q | | 4. Gilles Bertould | FRA | 47.6s | Q | | 5. Luciano Sušanj |  YUG | 48.4s | | | 6. Georgi Bozhkov |  BUL | 48.5s | |
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| Heat 2 | time | | | 1. Jean-Claude Nallet | FRA | 47.8s | Q | | 2. Jan Werner | POL | 47.8s | Q | | 3. John Robertson | GBR | 47.8s | Q | | 4. Manuel Gayoso | ESP | 48.1s | Q | | 5. Emile Jung |  LUX | 48.6s | |
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| Heat 3 | time | | | 1. Stanisław Grędziński | POL | 46.6s | Q | | 2. Aleksandr Bratchikov | URS | 46.7s | Q | | 3. Colin Campbell | GBR | 46.8s | Q | | 4. Sergio Bello | ITA | 47.2s | Q | | 5. Willy Vandenwyngaerden |  BEL | 47.5s | | | 6. Richard Simonsen |  NOR | 47.8s | | | 7. Haris Dimitriou |  GRE | 48.8s | |
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| Heat 4 | time | | | 1. Yuriy Zorin | URS | 46.5s | Q | | 2. Jacques Carette | FRA | 46.7s | Q | | 3. Martin Winbolt-Lewis | GBR | 46.7s | Q | | 4. Ulf Rönner | SWE | 46.9s | Q | | 5. Barcelo de Carvalho |  POR | 47.2s | | | 6. Ramon Magarinos | ESP | 48.0s | |
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