YA Short Story, 1970s? Boy learning to box (underdog boxer) is so "fast" because he actually does tiny instantaneous jumps/ teleports when dodging a punch. Spoiler.

[Imakiwi]

This was a short story (pretty sure) that I read as a kid (in New Zealand). I thought it was a Roald Dahl story - but I have hunted through short story anthologies and it seems not. In any event it was similar to his style in that it was an underdog boy, learning to be a boxer, and discovering that he had an incredible power in that the reason he was so "fast" on his feet was because he actually did tiny teleport/jumps when dodging a punch.

Something made me think of this story a couple of years ago, and I have not been able to find it since.

[Sarah]

I remember a book that's at the very least similar - Lifter, by Crawford Kilian. It's also an underdog boy, but in this case it's football that teleportation helps with.

[Imakiwi]

Thanks - That does like a similar idea from the blurb, but definitely not the story I remember.

[Kris]

Imakiwi, please post a new comment if you're still looking for this book - or if you found it.

Last active on the site in June 2021. Moving to Abandoned folder.

[Imakiwi]

Nope - still haven’t found that story! Still keen to find it if anyone knows what it is.

[Ayshe]

Ernie by Timothy Zahn? It was included in Time Bomb and Zahndry Others and Analog Science Fiction and Fact, September 1979.

[Kris]

Thanks for the update, Imakiwi. I made minor changes to the topic header. Feel free to edit it.

Is this short story in an anthology/ collection? If yes: what's the common theme of the stories? single or multiple authors?

[John]

Ayshe is correct that the OP's description fits 'Ernie' perfectly. It's the first story in Zahn's Time Bomb and Zahndry Others, 1988 (originally published in Analog, Sep '79).
Ernie Lambert walks into the Athlete's Club, suits up and in his first practice bout easily wins because of the way he 'jerks' while punching and while avoiding being hit.

SPOILER!!! SPOILER!!!

SPOILER!!! SPOILER!!!

The story ends with him saving a kid in a car when it was parked on a steep hill without the parking brake on, porting it an inch or two at a time rapidly to keep it from going over the cliff.