View source for Elka Graham

{{Short description|Australian swimmer}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox swimmer
| name           = Elka Graham
| image          = <!-- Only free-content images are allowed for depicting living people -- see [[WP:NONFREE]]. -->
| image_size     = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels -->
| caption        = 
| fullname       = Elka Graham
| nicknames      = 
| national_team  = Australia
| strokes        = [[Freestyle swimming|Freestyle]]
| club           = 
| coach          = 
| collegeteam    = 
| birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|1981|10|20|df=y}}
| birth_place    = Sydney
| death_date     = 
| death_place    = 
| height         = {{convert|1.87|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight         = {{convert|67|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
| medaltemplates = 
{{MedalSport | Women's swimming}}
{{MedalCountry | Australia}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Swimming at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Sydney]] | [[Swimming at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m free]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[FINA World Aquatics Championships|World Championships (LC)]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[Swimming at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships|2003 Barcelona]] | 4×200 m free}}
{{MedalBronze | [[Swimming at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships|2003 Barcelona]] | 4×100 m free}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[FINA World Championships - Short Course|SC Worlds]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[2002 FINA Short Course World Championships|2002 Moscow]] | 4×100 m free}}
{{MedalBronze | [[2002 FINA Short Course World Championships|2002 Moscow]] | 4×200 m free}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|Pan Pacific Championships]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|2002 Yokohama]] | 200 m freestyle}}
{{MedalSilver | [[2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|2002 Yokohama]] | 4×200 m free}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Commonwealth Games]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[Aquatics at the 2002 Commonwealth Games|2002 Manchester]] | 4×200 m free}}
{{MedalBronze | [[Aquatics at the 2002 Commonwealth Games|2002 Manchester]] | 200 m freestyle}}
}}

'''Elka Graham''' (born 20 October 1981), now known by her married name '''Elka Whalan''',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elkawhalan.com/|title=Elka Whalan|work=elkawhalan.com|access-date=5 May 2015|archive-date=5 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505041057/http://elkawhalan.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref> is an Australian former competition swimmer who swam in the [[Australia at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Sydney Olympics]] and [[Australia at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Athens Olympics]]. Graham specialised in the 200-metre and 400-metre freestyle events, also swimming the 800-metre freestyle. She represented Australia at numerous international meets, including the [[Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|Pan Pacific Championships]], World Swimming Championships in [[2001 World Aquatics Championships|2001]] and [[2003 World Aquatics Championships|2003]], and the [[Aquatics at the 2002 Commonwealth Games|2002 Commonwealth Games]].

She was a member of Australia's 4×200-metre freestyle relay team that finished first at the 2001 World Championships in Fukuoka, only to be disqualified when she and the rest of the relay team jumped into the pool to celebrate before all the other teams in the final had finished.<ref>[http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,27561885-23218,00.html ''Splitting hairs: foxsports.com.au looks at times in sport when punishment didn't fit the crime'']. Published by FoxSports.com.au on 15 February 2011, retrieved 1 August 2011.</ref>

In 2007, she claimed that she was offered performance-enhancing drugs from another member of the Australian swimming team before the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, but refused to name the person.<ref>[http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/swimming/sa-ends-elka-feud/story-e6frfgko-1111114761660 ''Swimming Australia ends Elka Graham dispute''] by Rebecca Williams, ''Herald Sun'' (Melbourne, Australia). Published on 31 October 2007, retrieved 1 August 2011.</ref>

Graham retired from swimming in May 2006 and is now involved in the media, modelling and corporate speaking. She is married to athlete [[Thomas Whalan]] and has four kids.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hoskin |first=Madeline |date=2017-06-23 |title=We asked Elka Whalan what her 'parenting style' is - her answer was perfect |url=https://www.kidspot.com.au/lifestyle/entertainment/we-asked-elka-whalan-what-her-parenting-style-is-her-answer-was-perfect/news-story/75bced15b4be83a7b7372da3fee7e647 |access-date=2025-10-28 |website=Kidspot |publisher=[[news.com.au]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Elka Whalan|url=http://www.celebrityspeakers.com.au/elka-whalan/|website=celebrityspeakers.com.au|accessdate=1 December 2014}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[http://www.elkawhalan.com/ Official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505041057/http://elkawhalan.com/ |date=5 May 2015 }}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, Elka}}
[[Category:1981 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Sportswomen from New South Wales]]
[[Category:Olympic swimmers for Australia]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Australia]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in swimming]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for Australia]]
[[Category:Australian female freestyle swimmers]]
[[Category:World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming]]
[[Category:Medalists at the FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)]]
[[Category:Australian Christians]]
[[Category:Swimmers from Sydney]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Australia]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games swimmers for Australia]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in swimming]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists in swimming]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2002 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 2002 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:21st-century Australian sportswomen]]

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{{Australia-Olympic-medalist-stub}}