Silver went to Vasil Yakusha of the Soviet Union, the nation's sixth medal in eight Games.

East Germany took a third consecutive bronze medal, all by different rowers as Peter Kersten was the nation's men's single sculler this Games.

[2] Two of the 15 single scullers from the 1976 Games returned: gold medalist Pertti Karppinen of Finland and ninth-place finisher Hans Svensson of Sweden.

The only rower present with a major international victory was Hugh Matheson of Great Britain, the 1979 Diamond Challenge Sculls winner.

The competition continued to use the six-boat heat standardised in 1960 as well as the "B" final for ranking 7th through 12th place introduced in 1964.