The event was won by Fredy Schmidtke of West Germany, the nation's first victory in the men's track time trial and the third consecutive Games in which a German cyclist won (with East Germany victorious in 1976 and 1980).

Curt Harnett earned Canada's first medal in the event with his silver, while France returned to the podium for the first time since 1968 with Fabrice Colas's bronze.

The returning cyclists from 1980 were bronze medalist David Weller of Jamaica and sixth-place finisher Heinz Isler of Switzerland.

The Soviet-led boycott kept out defending Olympic champion Lothar Thoms of East Germany and reigning world champion Sergey Kopylov of the Soviet Union.

[2] The Cayman Islands and Chinese Taipei each made their debut in the men's track time trial.