Bruce Furniss took gold, John Naber silver, and Jim Montgomery bronze.

[2] Two of the 8 finalists from the 1972 Games returned: bronze medalist Werner Lampe and sixth-place finisher Klaus Steinbach, both of West Germany.

Reigning Olympic champion Mark Spitz had retired at the age of 22 after winning 7 gold medals in 1972.

[2][3] The Bahamas, Bulgaria, Greece, Indonesia, Ireland, Monaco, Nicaragua, Panama, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, and the Virgin Islands each made their debut in the event.

Australia and the United States made their fifth appearance each, the only two nations to have competed in all prior editions of the event.

Making the final in the 1976 event required at least matching the Olympic record, with seven men coming in under that time and an eighth equaling it.

Bruce Furniss, swimming in the eighth heat, cut almost half a second off Steinbach's record, coming in at 1:50.93.