[LOGO]  7961 SHAFFER PARKWAY
        SUITE 5
        LITTLETON, COLORADO 80127
        TELEPHONE (720) 981-1185
        FAX (720) 981-1186

                                         Trading Symbol: VGZ
                                         Toronto and American Stock Exchanges

_______________________________________  NEWS  _______________________________


                    VISTA GOLD CORP. ANNOUNCES BOARD CHANGES

LITTLETON, COLORADO, MAY 23, 2001 - At the Annual General Meeting, on Friday,
May 18, Ronald J. McGregor, Michael B. Richings and Thomas Ogryzlo were
re-elected to the Board of Vista Gold Corp. The resignation of Peter Walton,
for personal reasons, at the end of March 2001 left a vacancy and the
Corporation is pleased to announce the appointment of John Clark, to fill
that vacancy. Mr. Clark, a Chartered Accountant, is currently President of
Investment and Technical Management Corp., a corporate finance and merchant
banking operation based in Toronto. Prior to this, he was President of
Laurasia Resources Limited, an oil and gas company. Mr. Clark's background in
natural resources and finance will complement the strengths of the existing
board members.

Several board members decided not to run for re-election at the Annual
General Meeting to allow the Corporation to streamline its board and make it
more cost efficient. Their dedication and service to the Corporation and its
shareholders over the years is greatly appreciated as is their recognition
that the board had to be restructured to better respond to current market
conditions.

On another note, the Corporation is delighted with the continued interest and
support of its shareholders. It was reported at the Annual General Meeting
that over 75-percent of all shares were voted, which is indicative of a very
high level of interest and participation by our shareholders in these
challenging times. "It is gratifying to know that the majority of our
shareholders remain committed and interested in the management of our
Corporation," said Jock McGregor, President and CEO. "We will continue to
give our best efforts, to involve our shareholders and create value for them,
and earn their continued support."

Vista Gold Corp. is an international gold mining, development and exploration
company based in Littleton, Colorado. Its holdings include the Hycroft mine
in Nevada, development properties in Bolivia and exploration projects in
North and South America.

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The statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements
involving known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results to vary materially from the targeted results. Such risks and
uncertainties include those described in the Company's Form 10-K as amended.

For further information, please contact Investor Relations at (720) 981-1185.