Even with the absence of Keely Hodgkinson and Lilian Odira, the women's 800m is still set to be one of the stand-out events at this year's Weltklasse.

Audrey Werro, Femke Broeders Bol and Georgia Hunter Bell headline a stacked women's 800m at Thursday's Zürich Diamond League (August 27).

Both Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson and world champion Lilian Odira were initially part of the field but they withdrew earlier this week.

It means that Werro, off the back of securing victory in Lausanne last Friday, will once again be the favourite as she aims to make it two wins from two on home soil.

Just a week after becoming European 800m champion, the Swiss athlete triumphed in Lausanne with a meeting record of 1:55.33, while Broeders-Bol broke Ellen van Langen’s Dutch 800m record with 1:55.41.

The pair have competed on four occasions this season – the first being at the Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava – with Werro triumphing on each occasion. One of those victories was in Paris, where she recorded 1:53.80, which is the third quickest mark in history behind Jarmila Kratochvílová's 1:53.28 and Nadezhda Olizarenko's 1:53.43.

Broeders-Bol has narrowed the gap to Werro in each of their four encounters and it wouldn't be a surprise to see the double world 400m hurdles champion, in her first season competing over two laps, challenge Werro once again in Zürich.

Having secured Commonwealth 800m and European 1500m titles, Hunter Bell arrives in Switzerland as one of the most in-form athletes in the world right now.

The Brit has only failed to win two of her races this season – Maurie Plant (1500m) and Prefontaine Classic (Mile) –  and will no doubt be looking to challenge her 800m best of 1:54.90.

Hunter Bell recorded that mark when she claimed the silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo last September. Given she front ran a 1:55.93 to claim the UK 800m title in June, expect a fast time in Zürich.

The middle distance runner is ranked second on the UK 800m all-time list behind Hodgkinson (1:54.33) and last competed over two laps on the Diamond League circuit at last season's Weltklasse.

In an incredibly tight race, Werro edged out Hunter Bell, with the two athletes clocking 1:55.91 and 1:55.96 respectively. Hunter Bell has a 4-2 winning head-to-head in the 800m against Werro, with their last meeting coming in the world final in Tokyo. The Brit has never faced Broeders-Bol over 800m.

Jessica Hull will be running her first 800m since placing eighth with 1:57.15 at the World Athletics Championships. The Australian athlete has had a spectacular summer and secured two silver medals in the mile and 500om at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Compatriot Sarah Billings is in the field and she has a PB of 1:57.01.

An athlete who will be looking to carry on momentum is Ethiopia's Saida Tsehaye, who challenged both Werro and Broeders-Bol at the Lausanne Diamond League. The 18-year-old finished third in the end and clocked a personal best of 1:56.92.

It will be interesting to see how close the athletes can get to Pamela Jelimo's meeting record of 1:54.01 from 2008. The meeting is no stranger to middle distance world records either with Seb Coe (3:32.03 – 1500m 1979), Tatyana Kazankina (3:52.47 – 1500m 1980) and Wilson Kipketer (1:41.24 – 800m 1997) all making history.

You can watch all the action on BBC 3 from 7pm-9pm on August 27.