# Athletics at the 1981 Summer Universiade – Men's 110 metres hurdles

The men's 110 metres hurdles event at the 1981 Summer Universiade was held at the Stadionul Naţional in Bucharest on 21, 22 and 23 July 1981.

## Medalists

| Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Larry Cowling United States | Pal Palffy Romania | Georgiy Shabanov Soviet Union |

## Results
### Heats

Wind: Heat 1: -2.1 m/s, Heat 2: +1.6 m/s, Heat 3: -1.1 m/s, Heat 4: +1.7 m/s
| Rank | Heat | Athlete | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | Larry Cowling | United States | 13.83 | Q |
| 2 | 4 | György Bakos | Hungary | 13.90 | Q |
| 3 | 2 | Pal Palffy | Romania | 13.91 | Q |
| 4 | 4 | Aleksandr Puchkov | Soviet Union | 13.94 | Q |
| 5 | 3 | Arto Bryggare | Finland | 13.97 | Q |
| 6 | 4 | Hans-Gerd Klein | West Germany | 14.02 | Q |
| 7 | 4 | Daniele Fontecchio | Italy | 14.03 | q |
| 8 | 3 | Georgiy Shabanov | Soviet Union | 14.04 | Q |
| 9 | 2 | Romuald Giegiel | Poland | 14.14 | Q |
| 10 | 1 | Ion Oltean | Romania | 14.15 | Q |
| 11 | 2 | Anthony Campbell | United States | 14.17 | Q |
| 12 | 2 | Roberto Schneider | Switzerland | 14.25 | q |
| 13 | 1 | Vasko Nedyalkov | Bulgaria | 14.27 | Q |
| 14 | 1 | Urs Rohner | Switzerland | 14.32 | q |
| 15 | 3 | Petar Vukičević | Yugoslavia | 14.47 | Q |
| 16 | 3 | Juan Saborit | Cuba | 14.49 | q |
| 17 | 4 | Mountage Diakhité | Senegal | 14.49 | |
| 18 | 1 | Rafael Echavarría | Mexico | 14.52 | |
| 19 | 1 | Yves Lahaye | Belgium | 14.53 | |
| 20 | 1 | Georg Präst | Italy | 14.57 | |
| 21 | 2 | Don Wright | Australia | 14.83 | |
| 22 | 3 | Li Jieqiang | China | 14.96 | |
| 23 | 2 | Shaban Ahmed Mahmoud | Egypt | 15.41 | |
| 24 | 1 | Bernard Mabikana | Congo | 15.82 | |
| 25 | 3 | Nasir Sati | Iraq | 16.24 | |
| 26 | 3 | Mahmoud Abou Sarouil | Libya | 17.38 | |
| 27 | 2 | Rony Fatte | Lebanon | 18.33 | |
| | 3 | Haidar Ali | Pakistan | DNF | |

### Semifinals

Wind: Heat 1: +1.5 m/s, Heat 2: +0.7 m/s
| Rank | Heat | Athlete | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | Larry Cowling | United States | 13.76 | Q |
| 2 | 2 | Georgiy Shabanov | Soviet Union | 13.86 | Q |
| 3 | 2 | Anthony Campbell | United States | 13.88 | Q |
| 4 | 2 | Pal Palffy | Romania | 13.88 | Q |
| 5 | 2 | Hans-Gerd Klein | West Germany | 13.91 | q |
| 6 | 1 | Romuald Giegiel | Poland | 13.93 | Q |
| 6 | 2 | Daniele Fontecchio | Italy | 13.93 | q |
| 8 | 1 | Arto Bryggare | Finland | 13.97 | Q |
| 9 | 1 | Aleksandr Puchkov | Soviet Union | 14.02 | |
| 10 | 1 | Vasko Nedlyakov | Bulgaria | 14.07 | |
| 11 | 1 | Ion Oltean | Romania | 14.12 | |
| 12 | 1 | Roberto Schneider | Switzerland | 14.13 | |
| 13 | 2 | György Bakos | Hungary | 14.15 | |
| 14 | 2 | Urs Rohner | Switzerland | 14.27 | |
| 15 | 2 | Petar Vukićević | Yugoslavia | 14.34 | |
| 16 | 1 | Juan Saborit | Cuba | 14.46 | |

### Final

Wind: +1.0 m/s
| Rank | Athlete | Nationality | Time |
| | Larry Cowling | United States | 13.65 |
| | Pal Palffy | Romania | 13.73 |
| | Georgiy Shabanov | Soviet Union | 13.82 |
| 4 | Anthony Campbell | United States | 13.88 |
| 5 | Romuald Giegiel | Poland | 13.91 |
| 6 | Arto Bryggare | Finland | 13.94 |
| 7 | Daniele Fontecchio | Italy | 14.06 |
| | Hans-Gerd Klein | West Germany | DNS |