Elina Moestam

Elina Moestam was born on December 2, 1991, in Örnsköldsvik, a small town in northern Sweden. At age six, she relocated with her family to a suburb on the outskirts of Stockholm, where she spent her formative years. Growing up, Moestam showed little interest in competitive sports, though she played recreational basketball as a child and committed deeply to yoga between the ages of 16 and 22 — a discipline that sharpened her body awareness and movement intelligence long before she discovered jiu-jitsu.

Her path to the mats was anything but direct. After a brief stint in kickboxing, Moestam accepted a receptionist position at a local MMA gym — a role that came with access to training across all disciplines on offer. When a scheduling conflict pulled her away from kickboxing, she found herself in MMA and grappling sessions under coach Martin Gottenborg. A purple belt training partner named Michael Österlund helped ignite her specific passion for jiu-jitsu, and an early appearance at the Nordic Open gave her first taste of competition.

In January 2014, at 22 years old, Moestam took the decisive step of enrolling in a dedicated BJJ class at the Nacka Dojo — the true beginning of her jiu-jitsu journey. Under the foundational instruction of Ricard Carneborn and Ralf Carneborn, with additional support from Maxine Thylin, she embraced the sport fully and never looked back.

Moestam's development accelerated sharply when, as a blue belt, she made the pivotal decision to join Prana, one of Sweden's most respected BJJ academies, relocating to Stockholm to train under Kenta Hammarström and Alan Finfou do Nascimento. Both accomplished black belts, they profoundly shaped her technical game and competitive outlook. Balancing full-time athletic training with concurrent university studies throughout this period, Moestam demonstrated the discipline and focus that would come to define her competitive identity.

In 2016, Alan Finfou do Nascimento parted ways with Prana, but Moestam maintained her working relationship with him — a decision that reflected the depth of their coach-athlete bond and her clear vision for her own development. Alongside Finfou, she continued to benefit from high-level black belt instruction from Max Lindblad and Erik Friberg as she progressed through the ranks. This experienced support network, combined with a relentless work ethic, propelled her up the competitive ladder across Europe and on the global stage.

On January 28, 2020 — exactly six years after she first stepped onto the mats — Moestam received her black belt from Alan Finfou do Nascimento. The promotion marked not only a technical milestone but the culmination of a career built on consistency, adaptability, and an unwavering commitment to growth. She competes internationally under the Checkmat banner as part of Checkmat Sweden, carrying Finfou's lineage forward.

Elina Moestam established herself as one of the premier light-featherweight competitors on the global circuit, competing in the Pluma division at 53.5 kg / 118 lbs. Her record of consistent excellence spans blue, purple, brown, and black belt categories alike — a testament to technical refinement and competitive durability across every stage of her progression.

Blue Belt Breakthrough

Moestam's early potential announced itself with a third-place finish at the IBJJF World Championship as a blue belt in 2016 — the same year she claimed gold at the IBJJF European Open NoGi and the Swedish Submission Wrestling Championship. A third-place showing at the 2017 IBJJF European Open further confirmed her readiness to compete against the world's best, signaling the dominance that would follow at higher belt levels.

Purple Belt Dominance

At purple belt, Moestam's trajectory reached an elite level. She captured back-to-back titles at the UAEJJF Abu Dhabi World Pro in 2017 and 2018, cementing her reputation on the global grappling stage. The same purple belt period saw her claim UAEJJF Grand Slam titles in London in both 2018 and 2019, along with the UAEJJF Grand Slam Tokyo title in 2018. On the IBJJF calendar, she won the European Open in 2018 and 2019 and added multiple Swedish National Championship titles in 2017 and 2019 to a rapidly growing résumé.

Brown Belt and World Championship Gold

Transitioning to brown belt, Moestam maintained her winning momentum without missing a beat. She captured the IBJJF European Open title in 2020, retained her IBJJF European Open NoGi crown in 2019, and claimed the UAEJJF Grand Slam London title again that same year. The capstone of her pre-black belt career came at the 2019 IBJJF World Championship, where she secured gold at brown belt — the most prestigious title on the IBJJF circuit — affirming her standing as one of the finest light-featherweight competitors of her generation.