| POS | Rank | Heat | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | RESULTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 2 | Germany |
GER |
41.91 Q |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | Jamaica |
JAM |
42.63 Q |
| 3 | 2 | 1 | Nigeria |
NGR |
42.72 Q |
| 4 | 3 | 1 | USSR |
URS |
42.78 |
| 5 | 4 | 1 | France |
FRA |
43.05 q |
| 6 | 2 | 2 | Cuba |
CUB |
43.31 Q |
| 7 | 5 | 1 | Australia |
AUS |
43.34 q |
| 8 | 6 | 1 | Great Britain & NI |
GBR |
43.43 |
| 9 | 3 | 2 | Italy |
ITA |
43.71 Q |
| 10 | 4 | 2 | Finland |
FIN |
43.73 |
| 11 | 5 | 2 | Spain |
ESP |
44.08 |
| 12 | 7 | 1 | Bulgaria |
BUL |
44.17 |
| 13 | 6 | 2 | Japan |
JPN |
44.85 |
| 2 | United States |
USA |
DNF |