The Olympic 800m champion will be gunning for at least another national record over two laps in Eugene, Oregon.

It's now Keely Hodgkinson's turn to see how close she can get to the world 800m record.

Since Audrey Werro beat Hodgkinson at the Stockholm Diamond League at the beginning of last month – the pair ran 1:53.98 and 1:54.33 respectively – the Olympic 800m champion has had to watch Werro keep on improving over two laps.

In the Swedish capital Werro became only the third female in history to break the 1:54 barrier for the 800m behind only world record-holder Jarmila Kratochvílová (1:53.28) and Nadezhda Olizarenko (1:53.43).

The Swiss athlete then improved on that mark with 1:53.80 to win in Paris, meaning she now holds the third and fourth quickest ever times in the 800m.

Hodgkinson bettered her British record of 1:54.61 in Stockholm but has far loftier ambitions and it is now the Brit's turn to see how close she can get to the world record.

Her two attempts before the European Athletics Championships, where Werro will next run 800m, will be at Saturday's Pre Classic (July 4) and the London Diamond League (July 18).

At Hayward Field Hodgkinson faces a high-quality field that includes the likes of world champion Lilian Odira (1:54.62), recent French record-holder Anaïs Bourgoin (1:55.65) and NCAA winner Sanu Jallow-Lockhart (1:56.85).

Fresh of the back of winning the 1500m at the Paris Diamond League, Hodgkinson's M11 Track Club teammate Georgia Hunter Bell will aim to demolish her mile personal best of 4:23.35 – set indoors at last year's Millrose Games – and might get near Laura Muir's three-year-old British record of 4:15.24.

The fact that Faith Kipyegon is in the race could make this more likely as the Kenyan will no doubt have yet another world record in her sights, which will string out the field early on. Kipyegon ran 4:07.64 in Monaco three years ago and has technically gone quicker in the mile, when she ran 4:06.42 at the "Breaking 4" event in Paris in 2024. That however won't count on official records.

Muir is also in the race and, given she holds five out of the top 10 fastest times in British history, is no stranger to the event. Jessica Hull is currently sixth on the all-time list with 4:13.68 and she is also in the field.

The omens could be good for Kipyegon given, as Let's Run have reported, in each of the last three years, she has broken a world record in her second outdoor meet of the season.

In 2023, Kipyegon ran a world record of 3:49.11 in Florence on June 2, before lowering it to 3:49.04 in Paris a year later and then clocking 3:48.68 at Pre Classic last year.

Another athlete who will be striving to break a world record at Pre Classic will be Olympic 100m hurdles champion Masai Russell. Given how consistent the American has been this season in the distance, you would think it's more when than if she betters Tobi Amusan's mark of 12.12 from the 2022 World Athletics Championships.

The fact that Amusan set that time at Hayward Field is a good omen for Russell, who herself has clocked 12.14, 12.25 and 12.26 already this season.

Ja'Kobe Tharp is someone who has recent first hand experience of the magic of Eugene for sprint hurdlers after he ran a world record of 12.75 at the NCAA Track and Field Championships last month.

Having opted to forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility this past week, Tharp leads a field of top Americans that includes Jamal Britt, Cordell Tinch and Dylan Beard.

Sprinters have historically enjoyed Hayward Field and the women's 100m will likely be no exception this year. Such is the calibre of the event that organisers have turned it into a championships style format, with athletes separated into two heats before the final later in the programme.

You would be mistaken for not thinking you're at an Olympics or World Athletics Championships, given Shericka Jackson, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Sha'Carri Richardson are just three of the names who are involved.

NCAA champion Adaejah Hodge, who has the world lead with 10.63, is also on the start line and others include: Tina Clayton, Tia Clayton, Cambrea Sturgis, Favour Ofili, Amy Hunt and Dina Asher-Smith, to name just a few.

The men's 100m doesn't quite boast the strength in depth of the women but it is still led by Jamaica's Oblique Seville, who has the world lead with 9.82 this season. Double Olympic 200m silver medallist Kenny Bednarek and NCAA 100m champion Kanyinsola Ajayi will fancy their chances.

There will be no Josh Kerr at this year's Bowerman Mile but it will be headlined by Olympic 1500m and world 5000m champion Cole Hocker. With the race boasting seven athletes who have gone under 3:48, picking a winner could be tricky. Yared Nuguse has the fastest personal best in the field with 3:43.97 – set behind Jakob Ingebrigtsen at Pre Classic three years ago – while Dutch athlete Niels Laros (3:45.94) and France's Azeddine Habz (3:46.65) are ones to watch.

Many of the field events are taking place on the Friday night (July 3) but there are official Diamond League events on Saturday and they include the men's/women's shot put, women's long jump and men's discus throw.

Tara Davis-Woodhall, who recently signed up to the World Ultimate Championship, will be one of the stars at Pre Classic and arrives in Eugene off the back of a world-leading 7.20m, an incredible 11cm further than anyone else has recorded so far this year. Expect a tough battle between Jessica Schilder and Chase Jackson in the women's shot put as well.

You can watch all the action in the UK on BBC iPlayer from 9-11pm BST.