28 competitors first raced in four heats. The top two finishers from each of the heats advanced directly to the semifinals with the rest competing in the repechages.
Heat 1 |
1. | {{flagIOCathlete|Sergey Kaleshink|EUN|1992 Summer}} | 1:40.90 | QS |
2. | {{flagIOCathlete|Norman Bellingham|USA|1992 Summer}} | 1:41.00 | QS |
3. | {{flagIOCathlete|Knut Holmann|NOR|1992 Summer}} | 1:41.18 | QR |
4. | {{flagIOCathlete|Martin Hunter|AUS|1992 Summer}} | 1:43.32 | QR |
5. | {{flagIOCathlete|John MacDonald|NZL|1992 Summer}} | 1:44.37 | QR |
6. | {{flagIOCathlete|Gregorio Vicente|ESP|1992 Summer}} | 1:46.68 | QR |
7. | {{flagIOCathlete|Simon Parsons|GBR|1992 Summer}} | 1:47.50 | QR |
Heat 2 |
1. | {{flagIOCathlete|Roberto Liberato|SUI|1992 Summer}} | 1:42.02 | QS |
2. | {{flagIOCathlete|Kalle Sundqvist|SWE|1992 Summer}} | 1:42.40 | QS |
3. | {{flagIOCathlete|José Garcia|POR|1992 Summer}} | 1:42.96 | QR |
4. | {{flagIOCathlete|Patrick Holmes|IRL|1992 Summer}} | 1:43.46 | QR |
5. | {{flagIOCathlete|Zvonimir Krzanić|CRO|1992 Summer}} | 1:46.46 | QR |
6. | {{flagIOCathlete|Angel Pérez|CUB|1992 Summer}} | 1:48.32 | QR |
7. | {{flagIOCathlete|Sebastián Cuattrin|BRA|1992 Summer}} | 1:48.86 | QR |
Heat 3 |
1. | {{flagIOCathlete|Mikko Kolehmainen|FIN|1992 Summer}} | 1:41.13 | QS |
2. | {{flagIOCathlete|Daniele Scarpa|ITA|1992 Summer}} | 1:41.41 | QS |
3. | {{flagIOCathlete|Zsolt Gyulay|HUN|1992 Summer}} | 1:41.78 | QR |
4. | {{flagIOCathlete|Grzegorz Kotowicz|POL|1992 Summer}} | 1:44.58 | QR |
5. | {{flagIOCathlete|Enrique Leite|URU|1992 Summer}} | 1:49.49 | QR |
6. | {{flagIOCathlete|Roberto Heinze Flamand|MEX|1992 Summer}} | 1:51.06 | QR |
Heat 4 |
1. | {{flagIOCathlete|Renn Crichlow|CAN|1992 Summer}} | 1:41.39 | QS |
2. | {{flagIOCathlete|Marin Popescu|ROU|1992 Summer}} | 1:41.69 | QS |
3. | {{flagIOCathlete|Artūras Vieta|LTU|1992 Summer}} | 1:41.96 | QR |
4. | {{flagIOCathlete|Attila Szabó|TCH|1992 Summer}} | 1:44.85 | QR |
5. | {{flagIOCathlete|Willem van Riet|RSA|1992 Summer}} | 1:47.98 | QR |
6. | {{flagIOCathlete|Žarko Vekić|IOP|1992 Summer}} | 1:51.44 | QR |
7. | {{flagIOCathlete|Anisi|INA|1992 Summer}} | 1:51.96 | QR |
8. | {{flagIOCathlete|Gang Gi-Jin|KOR|1992 Summer}} | 1:52.22 | QR |
The top three finishers from each of the three repechages along with the fourth fastest advanced to the semifinals.
Repechage 1 |
1. | {{flagIOCathlete|Knut Holmann|NOR|1992 Summer}} | 1:40.36 | QS |
2. | {{flagIOCathlete|Artūras Vieta|LTU|1992 Summer}} | 1:41.04 | QS |
3. | {{flagIOCathlete|Grzegorz Kotowicz|POL|1992 Summer}} | 1:41.68 | QS |
4. | {{flagIOCathlete|Gregorio Vicente|ESP|1992 Summer}} | 1:41.72 | QS |
5. | {{flagIOCathlete|Zvonimir Krzanić|CRO|1992 Summer}} | 1:43.40 |
6. | {{flagIOCathlete|Žarko Vekić|IOP|1992 Summer}} | 1:55.32 |
Repechage 2 |
1. | {{flagIOCathlete|Angel Pérez|CUB|1992 Summer}} | 1:41.28 | QS |
2. | {{flagIOCathlete|Attila Szabó|TCH|1992 Summer}} | 1:41.40 | QS |
3. | {{flagIOCathlete|José Garcia|POR|1992 Summer}} | 1:41.84 | QS |
4. | {{flagIOCathlete|Martin Hunter|AUS|1992 Summer}} | 1:42.00 |
5. | {{flagIOCathlete|Simon Parsons|GBR|1992 Summer}} | 1:46.32 |
6. | {{flagIOCathlete|Enrique Leite|URU|1992 Summer}} | 1:49.00 |
7. | {{flagIOCathlete|Anisi|INA|1992 Summer}} | 1:51.69 |
Repechage 3 |
1. | {{flagIOCathlete|Zsolt Gyulay|HUN|1992 Summer}} | 1:41.44 | QS |
2. | {{flagIOCathlete|John MacDonald|NZL|1992 Summer}} | 1:43.24 | QS |
3. | {{flagIOCathlete|Patrick Holmes|IRL|1992 Summer}} | 1:43.96 | QS |
4. | {{flagIOCathlete|Willem van Riet|RSA|1992 Summer}} | 1:46.33 |
5. | {{flagIOCathlete|Sebastián Cuattrin|BRA|1992 Summer}} | 1:46.56 |
6. | {{flagIOCathlete|Roberto Heinze Flamand|MEX|1992 Summer}} | 1:47.76 |
7. | {{flagIOCathlete|Gang Gi-Jin|KOR|1992 Summer}} | 1:51.64 |
The top four finishers in each of the two semifinals along with the fifth fastest advanced to the final.
Semifinal 1 |
1. | {{flagIOCathlete|Mikko Kolehmainen|FIN|1992 Summer}} | 1:41.52 | QF |
2. | {{flagIOCathlete|Marin Popescu|ROU|1992 Summer}} | 1:41.83 | QF |
3. | {{flagIOCathlete|Knut Holmann|NOR|1992 Summer}} | 1:41.96 | QF |
4. | {{flagIOCathlete|Sergey Kaleshink|EUN|1992 Summer}} | 1:42.20 | QF |
5. | {{flagIOCathlete|Zsolt Gyulay|HUN|1992 Summer}} | 1:42.70 | QF |
6. | {{flagIOCathlete|Kalle Sundqvist|SWE|1992 Summer}} | 1:42.90 |
7. | {{flagIOCathlete|Attila Szabó|TCH|1992 Summer}} | 1:42.99 |
8. | {{flagIOCathlete|Grzegorz Kotowicz|POL|1992 Summer}} | 1:43.70 |
9. | {{flagIOCathlete|Patrick Holmes|IRL|1992 Summer}} | 1:45.11 |
Semifinal 2 |
1. | {{flagIOCathlete|Norman Bellingham|USA|1992 Summer}} | 1:41.48 | QF |
2. | {{flagIOCathlete|Daniele Scarpa|ITA|1992 Summer}} | 1:42.07 | QF |
3. | {{flagIOCathlete|Artūras Vieta|LTU|1992 Summer}} | 1:42.09 | QF |
4. | {{flagIOCathlete|Roberto Liberato|SUI|1992 Summer}} | 1:42.82 | QF |
5. | {{flagIOCathlete|Renn Crichlow|CAN|1992 Summer}} | 1:43.06 |
6. | {{flagIOCathlete|John MacDonald|NZL|1992 Summer}} | 1:43.41 |
7. | {{flagIOCathlete|Gregorio Vicente|ESP|1992 Summer}} | 1:43.53 |
8. | {{flagIOCathlete|Angel Pérez|CUB|1992 Summer}} | 1:43.94 |
9. | {{flagIOCathlete|José Garcia|POR|1992 Summer}} | 1:45.88 |
The final was held on August 7.
width=30 bgcolor=gold | align=left|{{flagIOCathlete|Mikko Kolehmainen|FIN|1992 Summer}} | 1:40.34 | bgcolor=silver | align=left|{{flagIOCathlete|Zsolt Gyulay|HUN|1992 Summer}} | 1:40.64 |
bgcolor=cc9966 | align=left|{{flagIOCathlete|Knut Holmann|NOR|1992 Summer}} | 1:40.71 |
4. | {{flagIOCathlete|Norman Bellingham|USA|1992 Summer}} | 1:40.84 |
5. | {{flagIOCathlete|Sergey Kaleshink|EUN|1992 Summer}} | 1:40.90 |
6. | {{flagIOCathlete|Roberto Liberato|SUI|1992 Summer}} | 1:41.98 |
7. | {{flagIOCathlete|Daniele Scarpa|ITA|1992 Summer}} | 1:42.00 |
8. | {{flagIOCathlete|Marin Popescu|ROU|1992 Summer}} | 1:42.24 |
9. | {{flagIOCathlete|Artūras Vieta|LTU|1992 Summer}} | 1:42.34 |
Kolehmainen was only seventh at the halfway mark before coming from behind to beat defending Olympic champion Gyulay.