Dar Es Salaam — TANZANIA hopes for medals at the ongoing 17 edition of the African Senior Athletics Championship were dashed on Thursday after her 800-metres runners were eliminated in the semifinals.

Frank Martin and Barie Hhera, who were among the medal hopefuls, surprisingly seemed more interested in the last two positions than anything else. That saw them finish 13th and 14th respectively while eight others sailed through to today's finals at the Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi.

The semifinals included 14 runners after South Africa's Mbulaeni Mulaudzi did not start the race and Algeria's Najdim Manseur failed to finish after sustaining muscle injury mid way.

Frank Martin with personal best of 1:46.75 posted 1:51.68 to qualify for the semis and clocked 1:51.43 to lose for the finals. Hhera whose personal best is 1:47.06 recorded 1:52.38 as his semis qualifying time and lost after registering 1:52.11. Those who qualified for the 800-meters finals are David Rudisha (Kenya), Alfred Kirwa (Kenya), Mouhcine Elamine (Morocco), Windy Jonas (South Africa), Severin Sahinkuye (Burundi), Jackson Kivuva (Kenya), Shiferaw Wola Gende (Ethiopia) and Mor Seck (Senegal).

In 10,000-metres men, Tanzania's Fabian Joseph finished a sorry seventh position with 28:40.53 in the race that was won by Wilson Kiprop of Kenya as Uganda's Moses Kipsiro finished second and Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya settled for bronze.

Other Tanzanians in the race Joseph Lwabe and Joseph Marko did not compete while Daudi Joseph finished 10th among the eleventh finalists. In the 5,000 meters in the women's category Tanzania continued to falter as Kenyans dominated the show.

Zakia Mrisho finished seventh after clocking 16:38.57 while the gold medal winner, Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya recorded 16:18.72, Ethiopia's Meseret Tola emerged runner up and her colleague Sentayehu Tamerat finished third.

According to results posted on the championship website, Anastazia Msandai posted 7:28.48 to finish ninth while Zeitun Jumanne did not take part in the race. Tanzania has sent a team of 24-runners in the championship that is expected to wind up on Sunday.