# 1978 European Athletics Championships – Men's 400 metres hurdles

The men's 400 metres hurdles at the 1978 European Athletics Championships was held in Prague, then Czechoslovakia, at Stadion Evžena Rošického on 29, 30, and 31 August 1978.

## Medalists

| Gold | Harald Schmid West Germany |
| Silver | Dmitriy Stukalov Soviet Union |
| Bronze | Vasiliy Arkhipenko Soviet Union |

## Results
### Final

31 August
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| | Harald Schmid | West Germany | 48.51 | CR |
| | Dmitriy Stukalov | Soviet Union | 49.72 | |
| | Vasiliy Arkhipenko | Soviet Union | 49.77 | |
| 4 | Franz Meier | Switzerland | 49.84 | |
| 5 | Harry Schulting | Netherlands | 50.07 | |
| 6 | Jean-Claude Nallet | France | 50.10 | |
| 7 | José Alonso | Spain | 50.19 | |
| 8 | Horia Toboc | Romania | 50.46 | |

### Semi-finals

30 August

#### Semi-final 1

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Harald Schmid | West Germany | 50.07 | Q |
| 2 | José Alonso | Spain | 50.32 | Q |
| 3 | Horia Toboc | Romania | 50.42 | Q |
| 4 | Dmitriy Stukalov | Soviet Union | 50.51 | Q |
| 5 | Stavros Tziortzis | Greece | 50.83 | |
| 6 | Peter Haas | Switzerland | 51.29 | |
| 7 | Axel Salander | West Germany | 51.63 | |
| 8 | Yanko Bratanov | Bulgaria | 52.39 | |

#### Semi-final 2

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Vasiliy Arkhipenko | Soviet Union | 49.92 | Q |
| 2 | Jean-Claude Nallet | France | 49.98 | Q |
| 3 | Franz Meier | Switzerland | 50.12 | Q |
| 4 | Harry Schulting | Netherlands | 50.22 | Q |
| 5 | Georgios Parris | Greece | 50.66 | |
| 6 | Rok Kopitar | Yugoslavia | 50.98 | |
| 7 | Lars-Åke Welander | Sweden | 50.99 | |
| 8 | Thomas Löwe | West Germany | 51.96 | |

### Heats

29 August

#### Heat 1

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Dmitriy Stukalov | Soviet Union | 50.35 | Q |
| 2 | Harry Schulting | Netherlands | 50.39 | Q |
| 3 | Peter Haas | Switzerland | 50.45 | Q |
| 4 | José Carvalho | Portugal | 51.02 | |
| 5 | Christer Gullstrand | Sweden | 51.03 | |
| 6 | Gary Oakes | Great Britain | 52.08 | |
| 7 | Felix Rummele | Austria | 52.13 | |

#### Heat 2

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Thomas Löwe | West Germany | 50.34 | Q |
| 2 | Yanko Bratanov | Bulgaria | 50.45 | Q |
| 3 | Horia Toboc | Romania | 50.75 | Q |
| 4 | Oleg Bulatkin | Soviet Union | 50.90 | |
| 5 | Claude Anicet | France | 51.68 | |
| 6 | Miroslav Kodejš | Czechoslovakia | 51.98 | |
| 7 | Bill Hartley | Great Britain | 52.15 | |

#### Heat 3

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Harald Schmid | West Germany | 49.78 | Q |
| 2 | Rok Kopitar | Yugoslavia | 50.43 | Q |
| 3 | Georgios Parris | Greece | 50.45 | Q |
| 4 | Jean-Claude Nallet | France | 50.49 | q |
| 5 | Alan Pascoe | Great Britain | 50.95 | |
| 6 | Ladislav Kárský | Czechoslovakia | 51.38 | |
| 7 | Lars Nilsen | Denmark | 51.48 | |

#### Heat 4

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Vasiliy Arkhipenko | Soviet Union | 50.15 | Q |
| 2 | José Alonso | Spain | 50.27 | Q |
| 3 | Stavros Tziortzis | Greece | 50.49 | Q |
| 4 | Axel Salander | West Germany | 50.55 | q |
| 5 | Franz Meier | Switzerland | 50.66 | q |
| 6 | Lars-Åke Welander | Sweden | 50.72 | q |

## Participation

According to an unofficial count, 27 athletes from 16 countries participated in the event.
* Austria (1)
* Bulgaria (1)
* Czechoslovakia (2)
* Denmark (1)
* France (2)
* Greece (2)
* Netherlands (1)
* Portugal (1)
* Romania (1)
* Soviet Union (3)
* Spain (1)
* Sweden (2)
* Switzerland (2)
* Great Britain (3)
* West Germany (3)
* Yugoslavia (1)